Sunspot
by Plasma Knight
Summary: Only a few months have passed since the Cullen's encounter with the Volturi, and Renesmee is growing with each passing day. However, she longs to explore the world and find her own destiny. Meanwhile, forever is looking considerably shorter when the winter incident provokes a mysterious organization lurking in the shadows to step into the light... Rated M for death.
1. Chapter 1

_Only a few months have passed since the Cullen's encounter with the Volturi, and Renesmee is growing with each passing day. However, she longs to explore the world and find her own destiny. Meanwhile, forever is looking considerably shorter when the winter incident provokes a mysterious shadow organization to step into the light..._

Plasma Knight/Raxis is back with another fic. Yes, I've read Twilight, don't look at me that way D:

This idea's been churning around in my head for months actually, so I went "what the hey" and wrote it for NaNoWriMo for 2012 :D Spent most of the last two months finishing it and now I'm ready to post it :) I'm highly interested in criticism of both kinds, so don't hold back.

As the summary implies, this is a post-Breaking Dawn continuation fic involving several new OC's to muck up the vampire world. Hope you enjoy!

Oh yeah, and, Twilight and its peeps belong to Meyer. Only the OC's belong to me.

* * *

_"Forever and forever and forever"_

_"A small but perfect piece of a forever"_

And yet, forever is so long.

Just understand that tomorrow may not be like today.

Forever isn't for an eternity if it ends

Never forget...

Souls can vanish in the blink of an eye.

* * *

It is easiest to see the light when you stand in the darkness...

* * *

_Lord, lend us thy strength..._

Inside a long hall of tan-colored stone, three women knelt on one knee. Opposite the only entrance was an alter, and a stained glass window behind it. A deep red carpet lead across the hall towards it. The altar itself was chest-high, bearing only a cross on its center. On either side of the carpet, spaced evenly, were eight candelabras on four foot stands, each bearing three white candles. The stained glass window at the back of the room dominated the hall, bearing the image of twelve figures standing tall and as one against a sea of deathly-pale creatures.

_Guide us as we carry out thy great work..._

Two of the women, each kneeling at either side of and slightly behind the center figure, wore simple robes. They were ankle-length, parted past the hips, and had wide sleeves. They were dominantly white and pale blue in color but bore no marks or insignias. Both were completely silent, while the central woman was quietly murmuring a prayer.

_Forgive us foolish humans of our transgressions..._

The center woman looked to be in the end of her twenties, but her eyes had the deep and sad look of a person more experienced than someone twice her age. Unlike her companions at her left and right, her robes bore marks and sigils depicting some status. Around her neck she wore a silver chain, from which dangled a pure white broach in the image of a stylized sun. Her long blonde hair was tied up into a bun, and was very orderly in the front, combed back neatly such that no strands hung over her face. Her soft skin and sad eyes contrasted with her sharp facial features and neat hair, giving her a beautiful but striking appearance.

_And forgive the Lost Ones. May they be bor-_

The doors leading into the hall swung open noisily, and another girl dashed into the chamber. "Lady Adella, please forgive my intrusion!" she cried breathlessly.

Adella slowly rose to her feet, her movements careful and precise. She turned and smiled at the girl. "It's quite all right. What is so urgent?"

"_They're here._" The girl said in a low voice.

In an instant Adella's eyes sharpened and narrowed, her warm demeanor gone. "Leave me, all of you," she said. The two girls at her side stood and left without a word. The third girl spared Adella a worried glance before following them out.

Adella passed the time she had to herself in silent prayer, though now she remained on her feet. She softly exhaled and steeled herself for what was to come. The quiet didn't last long; the doors swung open wide again, this time striking the walls with a loud thud. Another woman, the youngest one yet, entered.

Her youthful appearance clashed with the coldness in her eyes. From her long silky hair to her soft facial features and voluptuous figure, it was easy to call the woman beautiful, but, there was something off-putting and unnatural about her allure. She was shorter and thinner than Adella, but held herself in a haughtier standing. She was smiling at Adella, but her smile didn't reach her eyes. "I don't need to have my way shown by _humans._"

Despite the address, Adella smiled and made a slight bow. "We of the Third Generation are ever pleased to receive you. What brings the Second Generation here?"

"You grovel well enough," said the other woman. She crossed her arms and continued to smirk at Adella. "Perhaps the rest of the Twelve Sides should be shown what their Mother is like when she meets her superiors?"

Adella closed her eyes, and continued to return her guest's smile. "Indeed, some of those children are entirely too arrogant. It could be a good lesson in respect for them."

The other woman frowned and let her arms drop to her sides. "I've been to see the Six Fathers today. I suspect the Third Generation may not know who they are?"

"Oh, there is no need to worry. We know very well of the six great ones," said Adella.

The other woman's eyes narrowed. "I have orders for you, and a chance to make the Third Generation useful at last. You're to move, all of you."

This was the bombshell the woman had been waiting for, the blow that finally cracked Adella's careful emotional control. She gasped and stared wide-eyed at her guest. "The entire Third Generation is to move?" she whispered.

The other woman stared directly into Adella's eyes. "Yes, including the Twelve Sides," she said. She paused and grinned again at Adella. "By all means, gather your children. Just don't disappoint us, 'mother'."

Adella nodded numbly. "What are our orders?"

The woman from the Second Generation spent a brief time telling Adella what she was to do, and left without another word. Though the meeting was brief, Adella was left in stunned silence for some time after it was over.

* * *

**Chapter One:**

**~M**

**Orders to move out!**

**A meeting of the Twelve Sides!**

* * *

A red-headed young woman watched the growing city beneath her as she ran her fingers along the rain-smeared window of the airplane. It was already long past nightfall, so few people still had their blinds open. Even under the rain and clouds, the sea of twinkling lights that was the Seattle skyline was an impressive sight. Taking a closer look at the Space Needle in particular, the girl wondered if she would have a chance to see it closer.

She reclined her chair, grateful for the chance to relax - it was one of the only good things about long air travel. She was one of the few people still awake at that hour, but she could use some sleep. Just as she had settled back and was about to nod off, she heard the buzz of the intercom. As fate would have it, it was at that moment that the passengers were told to put their seats in the upright position.

Fairly typical. She had just finished putting down an uprising in South America, and now she had been ordered out to Seattle by her brother. Normally she might have been able to put it off for a day or two, but the order had come down directly from Adella, leaving her with no choice but to comply immediately. She couldn't properly rest aboard the plane, and the minute she landed - utterly jet-lagged - she'd have to attend her first full meeting as a member of the Twelve Sides.

At that moment, Meryl Brandon was sure she'd be feeling sore in the morning.

Meryl was a relatively tall young woman with a body like a rail line - thin but firm and strong. Her green eyes were currently slightly sunken from her tiredness, and her red hair was pulled into a messy ponytail.

The rest of the flight went without incident, and the plane went through the slow and familiar landing procedures.

Roughly half an hour later, Meryl wandered into the central lobby of Sea-Tac international airport, her sparse take-on bag clutched in hand. She pushed past the crowd carefully, trying not to harm anyone. Once she got out into a more open space, she began looking around tiredly, wondering which way she was supposed to go. Usually somebody from the Third Generation would wait to meet a member of the Twelve Sides when they were due to arrive somewhere. She only hoped she wouldn't have to wait very long for her pickup.

She paused when she found the individual dispatched to find her, and broke into a wide grin despite her tiredness. Aaron. Aaron was a large, dark-skinned young man, his black hair in a shoulder length ponytail and his eyes covered in a black blindfold. His large size and stoic expression might have seemed frightening to others, but Meryl knew from experience that he had a warm heart. His stoic expression was betrayed by a small smile when Meryl called his name.

"I wasn't expecting you to greet me, big guy," said Meryl. She rushed over to him slapped him on the arm (thought gently, because it felt like hitting a rock).

"It's always nice to hear your voice, Meryl," Aaron said. Meryl giggled and nodded.

The pair walked over to the conveyor that would be dispensing the rest of Meryl's belongings shortly.

"Busy as always?" asked Aaron.

Meryl groaned and rubbed her eyes. "At least it's not as bad as that time last summer."

"Bad times," Aaron muttered as he shook his head slowly.

"Well we probably wouldn't be friends if not for that," said Meryl.

Aaron chuckled and patted Meryl softly on the shoulder. "That's true."

"So what are you doing in Seattle?" asked Meryl.

"Probably the same thing as you," Aaron said with a shrug. "Heng suddenly demanded I head alone to Seattle, right in the middle of hunting a vampire halfway across China!"

Meryl narrowed her eyes at the conveyor belt. "Aiden and Adella wanted me specifically to come here, too."

"I guess Aiden must have been talking with the Old Man," said Aaron. "Something big must be happening."

Meryl sighed and rubbed her eyes again. "It might have to do with that incident with the Volturi last winter," she mumbled. Aaron was right, but it was too late in the night for her to have to puzzle out mysteries. "I don't know, I suppose Mother will explain it at the meeting."

Aaron nodded and rubbed his chin. "Actually, I could swear I've felt Arshaka and Lelu hiding in the shadows all day, following me," he added, rubbing the back of his neck.

Meryl felt a jolt shoot through her body, and hastily turned towards Aaron. "Wait, them too? They're practically sending half of the Twelve Sides out to Seattle?"

Aaron shrugged again. "Like I said, I only suspect it. Their feeling is distinct, just being around them makes my hair stand on end."

Meryl shuddered. She had only ever heard of Arshaka and Lelu, the Black Sage and Disciple, and didn't know what to make of them. Aaron wasn't one to spook easily.

While she was in the middle of her thoughts, her baggage rolled down the belt. Aaron had to give Meryl a gentle shake to get her to notice it. Setting aside her concerns, Meryl hauled her belongings off of the belt and out of the airport lobby.

Outside, the pair slipped into a car prepared by the Third Generation. In the back seats, Aaron and Meryl settled back and prepared to join the meeting. Meryl grinned at the sight of Aaron's screwed-up face. It came much easier for Meryl, but the process of entering a meeting was still awkward even for her. She gave a deep breath and tried to set herself at ease. The feeling of separating her mind and body felt strange and made her stomach writhe. It made her feel terribly exposed.

A few minutes later, the waves of color over her eyelids indicated that she had succeeded. She opened her eyes and found herself looking upon something very unlike the back of the cars she had been in.

Meryl nearly jumped in surprise when her arrival was announced, "The Twelve Sides recognizes Red Disciple Meryl Brandon."

Meryl shivered in her seat. Somehow, hearing it said like that made it sound official, like that she was an equal to the others there.

The room Meryl was in was circular, made of tan stone, and had only one door in or out. At the left side of that door were two chairs, only one of which was occupied. In the occupied chair sat the silhouette of a man. Because he was currently a silhouette of light and color, Meryl couldn't make out the details of the man's appearance. She didn't have to look down at herself to know she looked the same - it was the mark of the projections they used to hold meetings. Although she couldn't full see him, Meryl knew the man was Sabal Sarin, the White Disciple.

The two chairs were at two o'clock in the room, and between them was white carpeting, contrasting the dull stone elsewhere. Next to the white set of chairs were two more chairs, with blue carpeting between. Once more, only one chair was occupied. The man there was the Blue Disciple, Sergei Chirkoff.

Sets of chairs with carpets between them circled around the remainder of the room, with a black set to the left of the door, at ten o'clock. The other three sets were colored red, yellow and green. The green set was completely empty, and only one person sat at the yellow set. It was the Yellow Sage, Guan Heng.

The Black set was fully occupied by a slight-looking feminine figure on the inner side and what seemed to be a bulky man on the outer side. Next to Meryl sat a man, Aiden Brandon, Meryl's older brother and the Red Sage.

Aiden saw Meryl shivering and leaned close. "Take it easy," he whispered.

"I'll try," said Meryl.

Seconds later, Aaron appeared in his own chair amongst the yellow set.

"The Twelve Sides recognizes Yellow Disciple Aaron Williams," said Sabal.

"You took your time, pup," said Heng. His voice was raspy with age.

"I'm sorry, that's actually my fault," said Meryl. "My plane ended up arriving later than expected. I hope that didn't cause any trouble." The heads of the black side turned to look at Meryl, making her wish she hadn't spoken up.

Shrill laughter erupted from the feminine black figure. "No need to worry, Meryl. You weren't the last to arrive anyways."

Meryl suppressed a shudder and simply sat back, hoping to avoid undue attention. The girl was Lelu Durand, the Black Disciple. Fortunately, Lelu and her mentor began to talk to each other in a whisper, and Meryl was spared their attention. Silence reigned for a while after that, and Meryl tried to make herself comfortable, but this only resulted in her fidgeting in her chair.

"I forgot, this is your first full meeting isn't it?" asked Aiden.

"Yes, I'm a little nervous," said Meryl. "I feel out of my league in the Twelve Sides."

Meryl couldn't be sure, but she felt that Aiden was giving her a reassuring grin. "Don't worry. You wouldn't have received your position unless Mom and I believed you've earned it," he said.

Just after Aiden stopped talking, two figures appeared in the green seats. One was a rather thin and short woman. The other was somewhat broad and sat in a sort of loose slumped position.

"The Twelve Sides recognizes Green Sage Mafuane and Green Disciple Kim Eun-mi."

"I'm sorry that we were late," said Eun-mi.

Mafuane sat back and said nothing, as if she were bored with the proceedings.

"Managed to wake your mistress this time?" asked Heng.

"I, personally, am impressed to see Eun-mi's dedication to ensuring we could all meet together," the Black Sage, Arshaka, spoke up.

Shortly afterwards, another figure appeared to fill the empty blue seat. It was another woman. She leaned in forward and looked a little small in her chair. The woman's uncertain posture starkly contrasted Sergei, who sat comfortably in his own seat.

"The Twelve Sides recognizes Blue Sage Huihana Moon."

"S-so sorry everyone, I couldn't find somewhere to concentrate! I had to look around for somewhere properly secluded, and then I wasn't having any luck and that's why I'm late! I-I... I'm sorry," said Huihana. Her head swiveled left and right, and then she slumped down further in her seat.

Meryl stared at her, wide-eyed. "She's even jumpier than me."

Aiden chuckled. "She hasn't been the Blue Sage for much longer than you've been in the Twelve Sides. Some of the others claim that Sergei is the brains behind the pair."

"That's kinda mean," said Meryl.

"Don't worry. Those of us who know better believe that Huihana will be fine with time," said Aiden.

Sabal stood. "All are present. The Twelve Sides now recognizes White Sage Adella Allington."

This time, a flesh-and-blood figure walked into the room and moved to take the remaining seat. Meryl gasped at the demeanor and poise in Adella's flowing purposeful strides and in her piercing gaze.

"She's striking, isn't she?" Aidenasked. Meryl could only nod.

Aiden turned back to look at Adella. "It's why we follow her. She has this unusual aura, she makes you think anything is possible."

Adella settled herself into her seat and looked out upon the other eleven individuals. "Thank you for coming on such short notice. I understand that all here work very hard to see our goals accomplished. I must thank you for your determination, and ask that you continue your vigilance."

Most of the other members fell into a palpable hush, but Arshaka leaned forward, laughing very quietly to himself. Meryl only barely heard it, despite sitting close to him. "I'm quite glad to see all of us together. It makes me so happy I could cry," he said. Meryl had a strong hunch that he was smirking, wherever he was.

"Enough, Arshaka," said Sergei.

"I have to agree with Arshaka. This is all very unusual," said Heng. "For what purpose were we called together?"

Adella sighed and closed her eyes. "I met with a messenger of the Second Generation five days ago." Adella paused, and swept her eyes across the other eleven individuals. "The entire Third Generation has orders to move out," she said. Her words stirred up an immediate commotion.

"All of us? Together?" Huihana asked. She looked around at the others again, as if expecting an answer. "Is that even done?"

"Never!" cried Eun-mi. "If we all go to one place, it'll leave the rest of the world vulnerable to the vampires!"

Arshaka laughed, the first bit of genuine amusement from him. "The Second Generation has gone mad!" he exclaimed.

Lelu laughed as well. "They must dearly want a coven destroyed," she said.

Aaron nodded and folded his arms. "Lelu's right. Who pissed off the Second Generation that badly?" he asked.

Aiden stirred and glared at Aaron. Meryl glanced at her brother, realizing only then that he, Mafuane and Heng alone had remained calm. "We all know exactly what coven we'd dearly love to see eliminated," said Aiden.

Aaron and the rest turned to look at him, and a hush fell on the assembled individuals as Aiden's words sunk in.

"We're finally doing it? We're going to attack the Volturi?" Sergei finally asked, speaking for most of those there.

"I never imagined it in my time," murmured Heng.

"Nor mine," said Adella. In that moment, it seemed to Meryl that Adella looked weary. There was a tired depth to her eyes, but it vanished quickly. "A recent incident has shaken the vampires, and the Volturi with them."

"That's the gathering of the vampires that happened late last year, right?" asked Eun-mi.

Huihana gave a start and looked at Eun-mi. "Excuse me, but I haven't heard of any incident at all! Sergei and I were busy containing a really bizarre uprising in Italy of all places."

"Yeah, that uprising has some relation to the incident we're talking about," Aiden said offhandedly. "You see, during the early winter of last year, the Volturi suddenly moved out from Volterra. From there spent some time meandering across Asia and Europe, gathering a number of small vampire covens. Meryl and I were involved with that incident."

"Around that time, the Olympic Coven started gathering a lot of vampires of their own," Meryl said, pleased to have something to contribute to the meeting. "We only became aware of it when the incident was nearing its boiling point. By then there were way too many vampires gathered there to risk any action unless we were to bring the entire Third Generation together."

Sergei practically leaped to his feet. "So we did nothing while vampires ran amok across the United States, slaughtering innocent people?" The collected members turned to stare at him.

"There's not that many of us in the Third Generation, and we have a whole world to watch out for," snapped Eun-mi. "It's lucky enough when we get word of uprisings in a matter of days after the body count begins to rise, and luckier still if any of the Twelve Sides are anywhere near the area in question when do learn of it."

"There's too few of us in the Order at all," murmured Heng.

Adella rapped a single note on the arm of her chair. Her eyes remained closed as the rest of the Twelve Sides turned their attention back to her. "The important point of it all is that this Olympic Coven did something to provoke the Volturi, and a confrontation followed," she said. "We were ordered to investigate whatever they did to lure the Volturi from their safe places in Volterra."

"What a shame. The Volturi found themselves challenged and tried, but not one of the monsters died," said Lelu.

"Damn," muttered Aaron.

"Aiden and I were able to contain the situation after it ended," Meryl spoke up. "We managed to slay a couple of the vampires that the Olympians and the Volturi called upon, but that's all. The vampires were able to reach a diplomatic end to their confrontation."

"What a disappointment. It would have been better if they just slaughtered each other," said Sergei.

"Excuse me, but I - I have a question," said Huihana. "I thought the Volturi were restraining the vampires? Isn't that what we do? Why - why are we trying to slay them?"

"Because the Volturi restrain vampires for the sake of vampires," said Heng. "We slay vampires for the sake of Humanity. Our goals are similar, not identical."

"I have a question of my own. Who are these Olympians that provoked the Volturi?" asked Eun-mi

Aaron laughed humorlessly. "They're a family of seven vampires living near a nowhere town called Forks in northwestern Washington state," he said. He paused for a moment. "Well, they supposedly moved to California a little under two years ago, but I guess they came back since then. They're a bunch of standoffish snobs called the Cullens that survive off animal blood."

"Vampires with conscience?" Arshaka asked, chuckling.

Eun-mi sighed. "That makes our work more complicated."

"No it doesn't," said Aiden. Eun-mi turned to look at Aiden, but he said nothing.

Meryl looked at the pair for a moment, before turning her attention back to Adella. "Is that why I was ordered to Seattle?

Adella nodded and turned her attention to Meryl. Meryl quickly averted her gaze, but Adella didn't seem to notice. "Meryl, Aaron, Arshaka and Lelu are already on-site in Seattle. They will begin the initial investigation," she said. "Aiden and Heng, you both are to join them," she added, glancing at the Red and Yellow sages in turn.

She turned her gaze to the Blue and Green set of seats. "Mafuane, Eun-mi, Huihana, and Sergei. The four of you are to report to our holding in Los Angeles. Sabal and I will be there ourselves before long."

"Do we have any other specific orders?" asked Aiden.

"For now, I only want you to investigate this coven and learn what they did to provoke the Vulturi. Once we've learned more, we'll plan for our next move," said Adella.

She looked around the room, at each of the other eleven members. "If there are no other points of interest that any of you would like to bring up, then I will conclude this meeting," she said. A short pause, nobody spoke. Adella nodded and rose from her chair. "Then this meeting of the Twelve Sides is complete. Do your duty, prove the worth of the Third Generation. We will meet again."

Meryl came to her senses back in her own body, at the back of the Order-owned car that was pulling up to the Westin Seattle. Meryl looked up at the massive towers that comprised the hotel; the better to distract herself from her reeling thoughts.

"Fancy hotel," she murmured. "Who chose this out?"

Aaron was looking at it without actually registering the sight. "Somebody from the Third Generation booked it ahead of us. I guess it could've been Arshaka, but I'm not gonna bother wondering where he got the money."

Meryl sighed as she stepped out of the car and stretched her sore arms and legs. "We're gonna be busy."

Aaron patted Meryl on the shoulder as he walked past her. "Yup," he said. He paused on his way in. "Still, it's great working with you, Meryl," he added, turning to smile at her.

Despite her confusion and tiredness, Meryl smiled back. "In that case, carry my bags for me!" she called after him.

Aaron scowled as she held out the bags for him. "You're more than strong enough to carry them," he grumbled, but he took them just the same.

Meryl sighed again, rubbed her arms and shoulders, and looked idly northward as she wondered what their investigation would turn up.

* * *

Okay, so I fooled you all; chapter 1 just introduces the OC's, haha XD

Don't worry, we'll be seeing the vamps next chapter.

People used to reading my work understand that I update only on Friday, so keep an eye out then for updates! I'll still be doing my main fic (This one is, in fact, currently finished and needs no more time spent on my part, so there :D )

Like I said before, please review and critique my work. See yas.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Sunspot**_

_Only a few months have passed since the Cullen's encounter with the Volturi, and Renesmee is growing with each passing day. However, she longs to explore the world and find her own destiny. Meanwhile, forever is looking considerably shorter when the winter incident provokes a mysterious organization lurking in the shadows to step into the light... Rated M for character death. Ye be warned._

Disclaimer: Twilight and its peeps belong to Meyer. Only the OC's belong to me.

Author's Note: Special thanks to all the reviews I got so far! And especially to those who pointed out typographical errors in the first chapter; I went through and updated those out. For this (and all future chapters) I actually went over it with my beta first (yes, I neglected to do that with chapter one. Fail, I know ^^;) so it should read much cleaner.

Still, constructive criticism is always appreciated! :D

I've noticed that FFnet has an annoying habit of removing certain forms of formatting in its post. There's a chance that errors you spot are because of that.

* * *

_Two - __The lady doth protest too much, methinks._

_-R.C. Cullen_

* * *

Tempest Keep. A fortress once owned by the Naaru. Now it was under the control of the so-called "Sun King", Kael'thas Sunstrider. A group of twenty-five brave adventurers were breaking into the very heart of the fortress, the "Eye", to bring an end to the mad king. The hopes of many went with them.

Their leader, a noble Paladin named Ness, walked out in front of the pack and turned to face them.

"Ok, guys, in a minute we're gonna go into the Phoenix Hall and start the raid. Everyone ready?" she asked.

A dwarf, wearing enough heavy plate armor to have the appearance of a small tank, stepped forward and roared, "Time to cause a setback for Kael :D!"

"Oh god, M, don't Leeroy and ruin this thing for the rest of us :/," said a fierce female Night Elf warrior.

A few of the raid members lol'ed at the display. A few spe up in support of one of the pair.

M faced the Night Elf. "C'mon, Rozy, true players wing it!" he said.

"If you get us killed you're not getting any tonight. That's your only warning," said Rozy.

Undeterred, M turned to Ness. "You're on my side, right boss D:?" he asked.

"Ok, so like always me, Chrisym and Jenk are gonna tank," Ness continued on. "Ctidalwave, Archeia, uhh, so be ready to heal us, kk? M, Roz, actually work together and don't fight, all right?"

"She ignored me! D:" cried M.

A number of the other adventurers lol'ed again.

"Ugh, be serious, M," said Roz.

"So we're fighting the phoenix first, guys," said Ness. "Follow him around the room, and me and the other palies are gonna rotate to tank him. Some of you guys need to keep his adds off of us, kk? And be sure to kill him quick after he blows up or... yeah. We're screwed 8D. Everyone clear?"

"BIRDY'S GOING DOWN! :D"

"Were you even listening, M!?"

"Ugh, crap, brb everyone," Ness said quite suddenly. She remained motionless for a short while as the rest of the raid began to shuffle about and chat amongst each other. M and Roz went unusually quiet and went AFK without a word.

A few minutes later, Ness returned, along with M and Roz. "Ugh, guys, I'm really sorry about this, but I g2g. Something came up," she said.

Some of the raid members began to voice their displeasure, prompting Roz to bitingly yell at them to shut up. After apologizing again, Ness quickly made her way to the nearest safe area, and logged out. The noble paladin Ness of Azeroth was put away for the night as the six month old half-breed Renesmee Cullen stepped away from her laptop and towards her loving parents, Bella and Edward.

Bella smiled down at her daughter. "Good girl, Nessie. You can play you silly game another time, okay?"

Renesmee scowled back up. "Moooom, I'm practically seven now, do I really still need to have a bed time?"

"Yeah mooooom, you ruined the raid we were gonna go on," Emmett drawled as he walked into the room.

Bella shot Emmett a glare. "I only trust her on that ridiculous game because you and Rosalie are keeping an eye on her, so don't push it."

"I honestly believe that wasting her time playing fantasy video games is beneath her," said Edward.

"She's gotta have some way to see other people," Rosalie said as she followed Emmett into the room.

"That too," Bella said casually as she scooped up her daughter. "I wouldn't be surprised if half those people have no real goals for their lives. They'll just ruin her bright future."

Bella smiled brightly at her daughter. "They're not at all suited for my special girl," she added.

Rosalie rolled her eyes and left. Emmett gave Renesmee a placating grin. "Don't worry Ness, we can go mess Kael up tomorrow," he said. "I'll break the rest of Ed's hand-made bowls if he tries to stop us!" he called over his shoulder as he left the room.

"THEY'RE ART, EMMETT! LEAVE THEM ALONE!" Edward cried after him.

"I'm starting to think those two and their games are a bad influence on Renesmee," Bella murmured darkly.

The pair took their daughter away from the main house and on through the short walk towards their cottage. Bella hugged Renesmee close to herself through the trip. Renesmee felt she would have preferred walking.

On the way, a giant russet-furred wolf trotted up along beside them. Renesmee's heart sank, but she forced a grin towards him. "Hey Jacob," she said. Jacob's tail twitched excitedly in response.

"Bella, Renesmee is getting older... Do you think it's time she starts sleeping on her own?" asked Edward.

Renesmee realized from out of the corner of her eye that Jacob's tail was wagging faster. If she began sleeping outside the watchful eye of her parents, Jacob would doubtlessly just try to monopolize more of her time. She frowned and hugged her mother tight around the middle. "Noooo, I'm not even a year old! I wanna sleep with Mommy and Daddy still!" she cried.

Bella laughed and held Renesmee tighter. "I thought you were practically eight?"

"Did I say that, really?" Renesmee asked in mock-coyness. Only Bella and Edward missed the 'mock' part.

Edward chuckled and grinned at Renesmee. "Unlike humans _we_ have perfect memories," he said. Renesmee had to stop herself from rolling her eyes.

"See you later, Jake!" Renesmee called out eagerly. Jacob plopped down sadly and watched them enter the cottage. Once they were inside, he set out to dutifully patrol the area.

Inside, Bella sat on one of the 'eclectic' chairs, and sat Renesmee down on her lap. Edward, meanwhile, walked over to the bookshelf. "What bedtime story do you want tonight, Nessie?" he asked.

Renesmee had to stifle a groan. There was no denying it; she was brilliant for her age. She could read and understand works of literature that adults stumbled over. Tennyson, Proust, she was able to decipher them mere months after birth. The problem was that with each new book her parents expected more of her insight into the deeper meanings behind them, and Renesmee was getting tired of it all. A part of her wondered what it would be like reading a book suitable for children: something as silly as giving into fancy.

Unfortunately, her parents were having none of it.

"Nessie, you finished _A Midsummer Night's Dream_, haven't you?" asked Bella.

Stifling the second groan was even harder. Her parents had a bizarre obsession with linking life to Shakespeare. Yes, the man could spin a good story, but they were often analyzed in early high school classes. Her parents, especially her mother, loved to draw comparisons between their lives and his work. Renesmee wondered if her mother saw herself as some sort of tragic Juliet. Nah, it was almost guaranteed.

She couldn't reveal her true feelings on the insipidness of it all, however. "Yes, I finished it Mommy!" she said eagerly.

"What did you think?" Bella asked blissfully as she hugged her daughter closer.

Uh oh. Renesmee hadn't expected this. On the one hand, she could tell her mother what she probably wanted to hear, but that would risk making her look like she had missed some of the blatant goings-on in the story. Surely, the true nature of it all was obvious...? To make it worse, she had to be careful how she went through her thought processes. Her father would inevitably read any obvious thoughts that came to the forefront.

_Thank you, Aunt Alice, for teaching me how to beat Dad's telepathy..._

"Uhh, I thought it was kinda creepy. Oberon wasn't a good guy at all and the part about Demitrius and Helena was... off."

Edward turned around to stare at Renesmee. Bella fell silent. Renesmee counted the seconds.

Wrong answer.

Eventually, Bella broke the tension by breaking out into laughter. "You're so silly Nessie! It was a great love story; the love-in-idleness flower helped Demitrius remember his true feelings for Helena!"

Edward settled onto the arm of the chair and wrapped his around around Bella's shoulder. "Kind of like when we came back together, right Bella?"

Renesmee was glad in that moment she couldn't see her parents, but she could definitely hear their kissing, and that was nearly enough. In a moment of idle curiosity, she touched her fingers to her lips, wondering what the sensation was like. It was a shame she'd never get to really experiment with it.

Luckily, her parent's amorous moment provided a distraction that got her off scott-free from reading for the night. Edward and Bella tucked Renesmee into her bed and kissed her good night, before departing into their own room.

Renesmee sighed and tried to ignore the sounds of nightly passion coming from the next room. For the sake of her parent's privacy, she never told them she could hear them easily. She lied on her back, staring at the roof with her hands beneath her head.

"I swear, if I didn't have to sleep, I'd do something more constructive," she whispered to herself. "Like grinding."

More and more, Renesmee's life seemed plotted out before her already. Somehow immortality, natural brilliance, unusual strength and stamina and near-infinite funds weren't going to be enough to allow her to choose her own path. After all, _mommy and daddy knew best_, and mommy and daddy were stronger and faster and didn't have to stop to sleep...

_So this is the story of my life, an endless parade of attending high-dollar colleges, learning artsy ways of life! Never to choose my own friends and never to choose the man I want for myself!_

It wasn't that she didn't love her parents; of course not. She loved them as much as any daughter would. She just wished they would let her be free to fly on her own. Their misguided love was a cage she was trapped in. And Jacob... He had his nice qualities, but the more Renesmee read love stories, the more she came to resent that her _own_ love story had already been written well in advance.

Her desire for freedom was why she played World of Warcraft. She had pitched the idea to her parents of wanting a video game, and Rosalie and Emmett humored her by joining in. It was just as much a means to see her people, however distantly, as it was to escape from her reality and enter into an epic fantasy where she decided her own destiny.

Renesmee sighed once again and felt her eyelids begin to droop. "I wish I could step into a fantasy of my own, for real..." she whispered to herself.

Back in the main house, Alice sat at the near-abandoned kitchen table, bent forward with her eyebrows furrowed and her hands clasped in front of her mouth. Jasper and Carlisle watched her intensely as she held that pose for several minutes. It was nothing they were unused to; it was surveillance. Alice did it out of habit at least once a week. Usually she would spend five to ten minutes stuck in that pose before announcing with a smile that they were fine.

True to form, she eventually did.

Carlisle nodded. "So the Volturi still haven't decided on anything?" he asked.

"It's all blurry, it reminds me of when Bella was pregnant with Renesmee," said Alice. "What I know for sure is that they definitely visited Nahuel's father, like they said they would. After that, however, every image I get from them is a just a huge blur of activity."

"That indicates that they're being indecisive..." said Carlisle.

"I think so," said Alice.

Jasper walked over to her and placed his hands over her shoulders. "Don't worry. Once they finally do make a decision, you'll see it. We'll have plenty of warning if they come after us."

"We have nothing to worry," said Carlisle.

Alice smiled and placed one of her hands over one of Jasper's. "Yes, I'm sure you're-" Her eyes suddenly slid out of focus.

The two men leaned in close and waited for Alice to return to normal. She spent several minutes that way, stretching the moment out into what might as well have been days for them. Eventually, her eyes regained their focus but she stared off into the wall in front of her, her lips trembling.

"What is it? What did you see?" Carlisle asked urgently.

"The-the cottage. Bella and Edward's cottage, it was on fire!" gasped Alice.

Jasper took Alice's hands in his own and squeezed them to get her attention. "The Volturi?" he asked.

"No, I saw two people – two women, but neither of them were Volturi," said Alice. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I don't even think they were even vampires. Their skin wasn't light enough."

Alice stood up and paced around the kitchen, a hand to her forehead. "What's the meaning of this?" she asked to herself.

Carlisle remained seated at the table and watched Alice pace. "Something apart from the Volturi, and not even a vampire, is threatening us?" he asked.

"It's impossible for humans to hurt us," said Jasper.

"I-I must be seeing wrong things, or..." said Alice. "I'm not sure. I'll try and see if anything else comes up. I need to go feed." She said distractedly as she left the kitchen. Carlisle and Jasper exchanged glances.

Jasper shook his head slowly. "It's probably nothing," he said.

"A fluke," agreed Carlisle.

They silently left the room, going different ways.

* * *

The following morning, Meryl stepped out of the main lobby of the Westin Seattle. She stretched and inhaled, savoring the crisp morning air. She felt considerably better-rested after a good nights sleep; she felt ready to face whatever would come next. She just wasn't expecting the world would select a young woman in a domino mask as the thing that came next.

Lelu Durand smiled at Meryl as she leaned against the driver's side door of her rental Mercedes. She wore a neat black suit with matching slacks and gloves. The slacks were loose but her suit was not, proudly displaying her curves. Her spiked black hair jutted out every which way. Her sly appearance was topped by a mischievous grin and narrowed eyes.

"Heya, Meryl dear!" she cried.

Meryl frowned and dashed up to her. "Lelu, take the mask off!" she hissed. "You're going to draw attention to yourself!"

"Then it does its job well," said Lelu. She smirked and crossed her arms, making certain...assets more noticeable in a way that Meryl was sure was not accidental.

Lelu placed a hand on her hip. "So, ready to go? The girls head off into the morning haze while the boys sit and laze?"

Meryl nodded. It had been decided that Meryl and Lelu, as the two who would stand out the least, would go to Forks to head up the investigation. Arshaka and Aaron would hold down the fort in Seattle. (Guan Heng had made it clear that for whatever reason that Aaron was to remain in Seattle until he arrived).

Meryl slid into the passenger seat as one of the workers loaded her bags into the back of Lelu's car. Moments later, Lelu had them off at a leisurely pace towards their destination. Once they cleared the city limits, Meryl looked idly out the window, watching green tree after green tree roll by. It stuck her at that moment that Washington State was incredibly green. Except up in the sky; it was grey above.

"The weather here is bleak," Meryl mumbled.

"Washington is fairly cloudy and rainy, but from what I've discovered they've had some pretty freaky weather lately. Months of straight cloudy days with not a glimpse of the sun," Lelu explained.

"I know, this isn't the first time I've been here," Meryl muttered. Meryl's first impression about Lelu appeared to be incorrect, but she wasn't going to let her guard down. She didn't know what Lelu or Arshaka was thinking.

"Oh yeah. By the way, if you want to try and get some sleep, I don't mind. I know you've been busy," said Lelu.

"No thanks," Meryl said off-handedly as she unscrewed the lid off a small tub of lotion. She spread the lotion on her arms and face, taking care to rub it in.

Lelu shot Meryl a sly grin. "Worrying for our soft skin are we? Not at all appropriate for a vamp hunter, dear," she said.

Meryl chuckled. "Not exactly." Lelu cocked at eyebrow at her but didn't ask anything else.

The drive from Seattle to Forks proved longer than the two girls anticipated. About halfway through their nearly four hour trip they agreed to stop for a bite and swap places at the wheel. It was in the late afternoon that Meryl finally pulled Lelu's rental into the parking lots of the Pacific Inn Motel. Meryl stepped out from the car and surveyed the surroundings. Forks was a small town, built around the Washington forests.

"This town isn't that bad," she said.

"Careful Meryl, here thar be monsters!" Lelu said as she pulled their luggage from the trunk.

Meryl laughed and helped Lelu unload. "The vamps will know what a real monster is once the sages arrive," she said. "They're on a short reprieve since it's just us disciples."

Lelu smirked and laughed in agreement.

The pair checked in and found their room; a small thing with two beds and a dresser across from them.

"Meryl, I suspect one of these beds is broken, you know how these small-town motels are," said Lelu. She flung herself down on one of them. "This one's okay. It's a shame we'll have to share it though."

Meryl cocked an eyebrow at Lelu. "Lelu, keep the sexual harassment to a minimum, please." Lelu repeated Meryl's request in a mocking tone.

Lelu got off the bed and inspected the TV. "Hey, they've got some free movies here. Wanna watch a fantasy romance?" she asked.

"I'm not watching garbage, Lelu," Meryl snapped as she unpacked her belongings.

"Okay, okay, we're going into serious mode and getting to work," Lelu said as she pulled out a few portfolios from her own bags. "I have here all of the information we've got on the local coven. Apparently they're posing as some 'Cullen family' and live just outside of town."

Meryl leaned in closer and began to examine them herself. "We've been keeping tabs on them for some time," she murmured.

"Yeah, Mom and Heng have been weighing the pros and cons of getting rid of them for a while. Clearing out covens starts to get risky when they're this big. To go one further, these vamps don't feed off human," she shrugged and glanced up at Meryl. "Frankly, we've had more excuses to leave them be for a while."

"If they piss off the Volturi and bring about their downfall, then we were right to hold off on eliminating them," said Meryl.

Lelu nodded and spread personal papers of the individual members across the bed. "Okay, we've got nine members, pretty big for any vampire group. Five female, four male. Actually, to put it more accurately, eight vampires and a dhampir."

Meryl's stomach gave a lurch from surprise. "She'd have to be the only one in the world outside the Second Generation," she whispered to herself.

Lelu singled out the paper showing Renesmee's information. "We've managed to keep the fact that such beings can exist at all pretty secret, but now the cat's out of the bag. I'd bet my bosoms that she's the one who riled up the Volturi."

Meryl sighed and looked closer at Renesmee's personal information. "What about the rest?" she asked.

"They've only got one interesting power among them. Details are scarce but apparently one of them can see the future or something," said Lelu. "As for the others... eh, telepathy, emotional control and mental shielding. I hate fighting telepaths. Having to watch what you think is so annoying," she added with pursed lips.

"Yeah, that's right. Their newest member can shield minds," said Meryl. "We had a background check done on her after we got back. Would you believe she descends on her father's side from _Abihael the Swan_?"

Lelu gave such a start at Meryl's reveal that she scattered the papers she had been looking at. "Are you serious!?" she asked.

Meryl sat back and crossed her arms. "Yeah, it's some sick joke of fortune that she _chose_ to become a vampire."

Lelu narrowed her eyes. "Wait, chose to become one? That's even done?"

"Apparently. From what we could dig up on her."

Lelu made a sound of disgust and turned back to her notes.

"Well, we're not gonna get anywhere else by just sitting in here looking over research notes, right?" asked Meryl

Lelu took the hint. "To the house?"

Meryl nodded. Lelu got up briskly and was out the door a moment later. Meryl followed behind Lelu, watching her closely.

* * *

Leah Clearwater perked upright and began listening intently. It was brief, but she thought she had heard the sound of people walking through the forest. For a moment she considered laying back down on the grass, but it _was_ her duty to "patrol" the area. Jacob didn't like unapproved individuals approaching Renesmee. Leah froze and tried to stop her thoughts mid-track; they made her want to vomit.

Six months ago, if you'd have told Leah that there _could_, in fact, be something worse than self-indulgent misery coursing through Jacob's mind, she wouldn't have believed it. It turned out that endlessly thinking about a child was worse beyond compare. It was worse even than when Sam wouldn't stop thinking lovingly about Emily. Recalling the way Jacob fantasized about Renesmee sent chills up Leah's spine. Devotion, but more than that, anticipation. And planning...

Maybe scaring off a hiker would distract her from the "romance". Leah got to her feet and padded off in the direction she had heard the sound. Despite listening very carefully now, she couldn't hear anything else; perhaps she had imagined it? She wanted to make sure. Anything that improved the dullness of patrolling the house was a welcome improvement.

She was nearly upon the source of the noise she had heard when she heard something else coming from the house. It was Seth, calling her name. She paused for a moment to take one last scan of the area she was about to investigate. After finding nothing out of the ordinary, she headed off into a more secluded location to change back and get dressed.

By the time she was out in the open again, Seth had arrived, bearing her dinner. Her breathlessly plopped down on the ground and offered it to her. "Esme wants to be sure you're getting enough to eat," he explained.

Leah forced a smile for Seth. Even after months of being forced to defend their property, she had not yet yielded to eating the Cullen's food. "No thanks, Seth. I'm not hungry. You can have my helping," she said.

Seth looked back up, guiltily. "But I already ate," he mumbled.

Leah patted Seth on the head. "You're still a growing boy and I want be sure you're getting your vitamins and minerals, so eat up."

Seth shrugged. "If you say so. Thanks, Leah" he said as he helped himself.

Leah sat down next to Seth and began to pick at the grass. "Anything interesting planned for the day?" she asked conversationally.

Seth paused to swallow a mouthful. "Uhh, Edward and Bella are going off with Renesmee and Jacob to go hunt somewhere. I guess they invited Charlie over tomorrow and want to be sure Bella won't wig out on him," he said.

Leah glared down at the grass. Of course, Jacob would go with them. Even though he had no business helping them drain a few animals. Bella and Edward would be more than enough to protect their daughter. And yet, with him gone...

"Then we're gonna stop by home after they leave and visit Mom," said Leah.

Seth had to pause once more to empty his mouth. "I kinda wanted to hang out here while they were gone," he said.

Leah gave Seth a look. "We're visiting Mom, kid. Listen to your big sister. You spend plenty of time hanging out with the Cullens," she said sternly.

Seth bowed his head. "Yes, ma'am," he said dully.

Leah grinned and ruffled Seth's hair. "That's a good boy. Just remember to say that all the time when you finally get a girlfriend and you'll be just fine," she said.

"What if I imprint?" he asked.

Leah's expression darkened. "I hope for your sake and her's, whoever she happens to be, that you don't," she said. More than anything, she didn't want her little brother to be denied the freedom to choose for himself the person he would spend his life with. She'd find a way to protect him from that; even if it meant dragging him away bodily from any girl that seemed likely to be his imprintee.

"How do I avoid that?" asked Seth. He grinned and covered his eyes. "Go like this for the rest of my life?"

Leah thumped Seth lightly on the head. "Finish up your meal or Esme will harass us," she said.

Once Seth finished his food and returned to the house, Leah resumed to her wolf form and began to wander around the perimeter.

Not far from where the two had sat down together, Lelu and Meryl wavered into view.

Meryl breathed a sigh of relief and gave Lelu an approving glance. "Good job concealing us. This investigation will be for nothing if we're caught," she said.

Lelu sat back and smiled. "Just remember that you now owe me tonight, when you're feeling lonely in your beeeee-owow!"

Meryl pulled hard on Lelu's hair. "I told you to cut it out with the sexual harassment," she growled.

"Okay, okay, I give up, I give up!" Lelu cried.

Meryl released Lelu, who immediately began rubbing her head. "And keep it down, you wanna bring her back?" hissed Meryl.

"Monster, you've got some serious pulling power in those hands," Lelu moaned. Once she had finished glaring at Meryl, she glanced in the direction Leah had walked off in. "It's nice to see at least one of them has priorities," she mused.

"She's not a vampire, idiot. She's like our – she's some kind of shapeshifter," said Meryl. "Apparently they come from the Native American reservation nearby."

Lelu gave Meryl a confused look. "I've never even heard of this before! Are they werewolves?"

"No, apart from the fact that they change into wolves they're almost nothing alike," said Meryl. "Mother's officially ordered that we're to avoid combat with them if we can manage. They don't attack people."

Lelu nodded and pulled out a set of binoculars and a directed microphone. She laid down on the grass and crept closer to the house, keeping the microphone trained on it.

She focused for a while, until she finally frowned and shook her head. "Hmm, I can't make out any specific words. Just all their voices at once," she said.

Meryl sighed and crossed her arms. "Then we're gonna have to be more direct," she said.

Lelu rolled over and looked up at her. "Like get inside and bug the place?"

"Yeah. We'll just wait here for them to leave. The fewer there are around, the easier for us," said Meryl.

Lelu nodded, sat up, and pulled a deck of playing cards out from her sleeve. "Wanna play a card game while we wait?" she asked.

Meryl glanced at the cards. "No way, I bet you have a great poker face," she said. "You probably cheat, too."

"If you win I'll stop the sexual harassment jokes forever," Lelu said, drawing out the last word in a higher-pitched voice.

Meryl gave Lelu a blank stare. "And If I lose?" she asked.

"You have to take off a piece of clothing for each game I win!" Lelu said cheerfully. She winced at the look Meryl was giving her. "But then if you win, I leave you alone. Forever. C'mon, you only have to win at least once for all the clothes you've got on, the odds are way in your favor!"

Meryl sighed. Anything to shut Lelu up. "Fine, deal them out..." she said, unsure if she was making a bad choice or not.

* * *

"Haha, Pummel! Got you, Ro-"

_Sniper Kill_

Emmett stared at the screen, hardly believing that his respawn counter was indeed ticking down to zero. "How do you always do _that_?" he asked in exasperation.

"EMMETT, MUST YOU ALWAYS PISTOL WHIP HER!?" demanded Edward.

"Real men always melee, Wardo!" Emmett declared.

"But you're getting beat, Uncle," Renesmee pointed out.

Emmett turned back to the screen and noticed that he had already been killed again. Rosalie was grinning at him. "Eh, Rose cheats anyway, and I'll eventually get her," said Emmett. He glared in determination as he searched for a new Energy Sword.

Renesmee gave Emmett a questioning look. "You can't use cheats in multiplayer, can you?"

"Nah, if I start to win, Rosalie gets behind me and-"

"EMMETT, YOUR THOUGHTS OF ROSALIE CANNOT BE CORRECT! SHE IS A FLOWER; TOO PURE FOR SUCH THINGS!" cried Edward.

Rosalie turned and smiled. "Don't worry, Edward, there is no way that I sit behind him and press my breasts up against the back of his head to distract him," she said. She turned to Renesmee, ignoring Edward's aghast expression. "But, keeping in mind that I don't do that, it's a great strategy to screw up guy gamers, so don't forget it," she added with a wink.

Renesmee giggled. "I'll remember it, Aunt Rosie!" she said with a wink.

Bella walked in and scowled at the game. "Really Rosalie, it's bad enough that Emmett wastes his time with this frivolity, but it should be beneath a girl," she scoffed.

"Sorry, I'm not a prancing pixie like Alice," Rosalie said without taking her eyes off the screen.

"Hey, what does that mean?" Alice asked as she followed Bella into the room.

"Just that you're not exactly a model of modern feminism, Alice," said Rosalie.

"I have plenty of guy hobbies!" Alice said indignantly.

Rosalie grinned as she managed to gun Emmett down again. "Having a shallow interest in cars doesn't count," she said casually.

Alice walked closer and stood huffily near Rosalie. "My interest in not simply casual," she said.

"What's the purpose of a catalytic converter?" asked Rosalie. Alice balked, glared impotently and walked off without saying a word.

"That's enough children, please stop teasing each other," Esme said as she passed Alice on the way in. Even Rosalie and Emmett turned to see Esme giving the five a warm grin. They immediately flinched and returned to their business.

Bella left the room to finalize their preparations while Rosalie and Emmett continued their match. Their time ran out, Rosalie was the victor, and Emmett demanded another rematch, which Rosalie allowed him. Through it all, Renesmee contentedly watched.

And then Bella returned. "Come on, Nessie, it's time to go," she said.

Renesmee privately wished to continue watching Emmett and Rosalie's game, but obediently joined her mother. Mother and daughter were joined by Edward as they headed for the garage. The pair put Renesmee into the back of their enormous jeep, where she was joined moments later by Jacob. Renesmee tried to subtly put as much distance as she could from him.

Jacob looked at Renesmee and smiled down at her. "How are you feeling today, Nessie?" he asked.

Renesmee frowned very briefly. He _was_ only trying to be nice... So why did it make her so uncomfortable? "I'm fine, looking forward to seeing grandpa tomorrow," she said.

Bella laughed. "If we're not careful he'll rope you into his fishing trips," she said.

"That doesn't sound so bad," Renesmee murmured. "Peace and quiet for a few hours... Get to spend time with grandpa."

"It's also dreadfully dull," said Bella.

Renesmee frowned but said nothing. She did, however, make a mental note to ask her grandfather if she could tag along for a fishing trip sometime in the future; maybe there wouldn't even be room on his boat for Jacob to fit... Assuming he fished on one, anyways.

Before long, Edward got the jeep started and they were off to the secluded hunting spot of the elder vampires' choosing. Renesmee normally didn't like looking out the windows when her father was driving; the sheer speed at which the trees and road passed when Edward had the wheel frightened her. This time she was making an exception, because it was the only way she might forget Jacob's unblinking stare and vague grin.

Renesmee made a second mental note, this time for Aunt Rose to get her a DS or PSP for her birthday. She needed something more interactive to distract her during these long trips.

* * *

Okay, so this time I actually introduced the Cullens :p

I wonder how in character or out you guys make of them? |D

Heehee, let's just see. Anyways, see you guys later!


	3. Chapter 3

_**Sunspot**_

_Only a few months have passed since the Cullen's encounter with the Volturi, and Renesmee is growing with each passing day. However, she longs to explore the world and find her own destiny. Meanwhile, forever is looking considerably shorter when the winter incident provokes a mysterious organization lurking in the shadows to step into the light... Rated M for character death. Ye be warned._

Disclaimer: Twilight and its peeps belong to Meyer. Only the OC's belong to me.

Author's Note: Please review; constructive criticism is always appreciated! :D

* * *

Meryl heard the hum of an engine revving up. She hurriedly turned to look at the Cullen house. To her immense relief, she saw a jeep pulling off onto the road.

"Oh, at last!" she gasped. Moments later the jeep was beyond the horizon.

Lelu swore before she could stop herself. "No way, Meryl, that was me. Totally trolling you with my illusionary powers. They'll probably be a while longer, let's finish our game."

Meryl turned and glared at Lelu. "Nice try. I know what your illusions are like. Game's over, give me my clothes back," she said fiercely.

Lelu frowned and handed over Meryl's clothing. "Stupid vamps. Had her down to her undies, too," she muttered, recollecting the cards and standing up. She paused to brush the grass blades off of her pants. "All right. I'll go in there and do my thing. Are you sure you're close enough for _lightfire_ to affect all of them?"

Meryl glanced at the house and silently considered the distance. Moments later she turned back to Lelu and nodded. "Yeah, won't be a problem," she said. "Besides, the telepath's gone."

"Yeah, well the seer's still there," Lelu said as she walked off towards the house. Before she had even gotten a few steps away, her body seemed to wave around, as if viewed through a badly-focused lens. Eventually she disappeared entirely. Meryl put on a headset and readied her transceiver.

Lelu's voice crackled over the other end. After a few seconds the audio cleared up to the point that she was comprehendible. "Testing, testing. Red Disciple chick with C-cups says what?"

Meryl clenched her free hand, wishing that Lelu was close enough to hit. "Don't call me that!" she hissed into her end.

"I got them wrong? What, are you a D-cup? I got a pretty good look, so I thought I was right."

"I'm reading you loud and clear. Unfortunately," said Meryl.

"You know, if you had finished the game we were on and forked over your bra, I could have just checked your size then and we wouldn't be having all this confusion!"

"Go, now! We have to get going!"

"See, your selfishness is holding up the mission!"

"Lelu, get inside their house already before I try my luck hitting you with a fireball!" snapped Meryl. It was taking a lot of self-control not to scream.

Lelu's laughter was the last thing she heard before the transmission cut. Moments later, small rocks began to appear out of nowhere, flying through the air at a brisk speed to strike the Cullen's front door. Eventually, Esme opened the door and scanned the yard. Another few thrown rocks prompted her to move away from the door. Meryl didn't have to see it happen to know that Lelu took the opportunity to slip inside.

* * *

**Chapter Three: **

**~M**

**Infiltrate the Cullen house!**

**Beware Lelu's grasping hands!**

* * *

Meryl waited for a few tense seconds in total silence. Lelu was a pain in the ass, but sending her alone into a den of vampires was still enough to put Meryl on edge.

Meryl's radio crackled once again. She sighed with relief. "Woah, it's creepy in here," said Lelu. "It's all white. And they've... they've got a big freaking window in place of a wall! It makes me feel exposed, like someone could be peeking at me!"

"Lelu, keep the chat to a minimum. They might hear you," Meryl whispered into her end.

Meryl tried to peer into the house with a set of binoculars, but couldn't see anything more interesting than Emmett and Rosalie playing Halo 2. Despite her warnings, it wasn't long before her end of the radio began to crackle again. "Did you see the blonde? She's hot up close."

Meryl slapped herself in the forehead. "You should try to cop a feel on her. Right now, give her a good squeeze."

"Maybe later," said Lelu. She was silent for a few minutes after that. "I've got the kitchen - which is freaky and totally for show by the way - and the main room bugged and camera'd. They're not even keeping a very good eye out."

Lelu hummed into her end for a short while. Meryl groaned; Lelu was humming a theme song while sneaking around? Meryl sat back against a tree and tried to wait patiently, though she was becoming more and more uneasy the longer Lelu was alone inside the house.

Suddenly, Lelu gasped.

"What's wrong!?" Meryl asked, panicking.

"I found some money!"

Meryl faceplanted into the grass and swore. "Lelu, we're not here to steal!" she snapped.

"Can't that hyper girl see the future?" asked Lelu.

"Yeah, what about it?" asked Meryl.

"You know they deal heavily in the stock market. Insider trading via seeing the future is technically cheating. Not to mention illegal."

Meryl sighed and shook her head. "How much are we talking?"

Meryl could hear rustling coming from the other end, along with Lelu's voice. "Shit, they've got thousands just lying around collecting dust! That can't be good for the economy. We should, like... call the government or something. Now we know why the economy's going down the tubes."

"Bring what you can back. We'll split a K between ourselves and keep it under our hats. The rest goes to the Third Generation," said Meryl.

Lelu laughed on her end. "Thatagirl."

Meryl sighed; she would have to find some ethical and constructive use for that money. At the very least it was better than letting it sit unused.

To Meryl's surprise, Lelu remained quiet for the remainder of the time she spent inside the house. After another half hour, she radioed in to report that she had finished bugging the more commonly used rooms of the house.

"I'm gonna create a distraction and shakey shake out the front door, so get ready for it, ok, Meryl?"

"... A distraction?" Meryl repeated. She suddenly had a very _bad_ feeling.

"Yeah, just uhh... Get ready to run. Meet you back at the motel room! If I have something sweet like shared bathing to look forward to, I'll definitely make it back!"

"Hey wait, what're you pla-"

"Stupid big window! Take thiiiiiis!"

Meryl winced at the sound of glass shattering from the opposite end of the house. She swore again and rapidly packed up the equipment she had spread out. She tore off through the bushes to get as far away from the Cullen home as she could manage, as fast as she could manage. She forsook the Mercedes. She expected that Lelu would need it more. She had another means to travel.

Once she was over a mile away from the Cullen house, she hid beneath some foliage. Once concealed, she began to concentrate upon herself. She let her power flow up through her body, and uttered a single phrase: "Dove's Flight!"

Wings of pure flame sprouted from Meryl's ankles and back. She stood and she took to the skies on them.

* * *

The sound of shattering glass coming from one of the main rooms caught the attention of the Cullens. Emmett and Rosalie were the first on the scene. Their deathmatch had been immediately forgotten. Rosalie quickly retracted the emergency shutters, allowing the Cullens a view of the lawn. One of their chairs was lying on it, surrounded by broken glass. By that point, Carlisle, Jasper, Alice and Esme had arrived.

"Shit, what the hell?" Emmett gasped. He turned to look at the others, as if expecting an explanation.

"Why and how would someone break into our house?" asked Alice.

Emmett looked at Alice. "Could it be the Volturi?" he asked.

Jasper shook his head without taking his eyes off of the shattered window. "They wouldn't break in just to destroy our property," he said. "Let's go. Whoever did this could still be around!"

The vampires split up. Alice and Jasper leaped through the hole in the window and began their search that end of the house while Rosalie and Emmett investigated the opposite end. An hour later the vampires regrouped in their kitchen. Meryl and Lelu were already gone before the Cullens even began to search for them, and they turned up nothing for their efforts.

Carlisle stood at the front of the table and looked upon the rest of his coven. "Esme and I looked around the house while the rest of you were gone, and we don't believe anything important was stolen. That and the fact that none of us were attacked makes it difficult to determine why these intruders decided to sneak into our home."

Rosalie steepled her fingers and leaned towards the table. Her brows were furrowed. "There are other reasons they would break in and not attack us," she said.

"What're you suggesting, Rose?" asked Emmett.

"Maybe they were under orders not to, for some reason. Maybe they were some stupid kids who _couldn't _attack us. Maybe they were thieves, but they just took something we've overlooked. Maybe they were persistent salesmen. Maybe they were French spies. I don't know!"

Alice sat hunched over, rubbing her temple with one hand. "Why didn't I see them? The moment they decided to get inside, I should have seen it."

Jasper silently rubbed Alice's back. "You cannot see the wolves, or half-breeds like Renesmee, remember?"

Alice grabbed Jasper's hand lightly by the wrist. "That doesn't make it any clearer. The wolves wouldn't have done this. There are no half-breeds aside from Nahuel and his sisters, and they wouldn't do this either," she said.

Emmett growled and slammed the table, putting deep cracks in it. Esme shot him a scandalized look. "Eh, sorry," he said sheepishly. "So now we're back to square one, and Alice's power didn't even work for some reason."

He looked around at the other vampires. His eyes lacked their usual excited light. "What the hell is going on?" he asked.

"The only thing we can do," said Carlisle, "is remain calm about this. We're going to stay on guard and make sure that whoever got inside doesn't manage it again."

"Oh, and something else," said Rosalie, "Bella should probably go see her dad tomorrow at _his_ house instead. I don't want to try explaining the broken glass to him."

Emmett nodded and clapped Rosalie on the shoulder. "Good thinking, Rose," he said. She merely gave him a satisfied grin. On the way back to where she and Emmett had left their game, Rosalie noticed a book on automobile parts left out of its ordinary place.

Rosalie sighed and turned to Alice. "Baby steps, Alice," she said. "Look, I'll go get... Cooking Mama or something for you. That should be more your style. Then we can open you up, slowly, until you're a gamer chick like me."

Alice would probably have blushed if she had the blood to do it. She quickly shoved the book out of sight before retreating to her room.

* * *

Renesmee instinctively shut her eyes and tried to ignore the sound of the deer's death throes. How long ago was it that she proudly compared one of her kills to one of Jacob's? Just months ago, but it felt like a lifetime.

For her mother's sake, Renesmee forced a grin. "You're so cool, Mommy!" she cried.

Bella beamed at her daughter, before she bit down on the deer's throat.

_Don't judge, Renesmee. It's the deer or a human. Mommy's just doing what's right... Poor deer._

Renesmee left to find prey of her own. Bella's victim had alerted any other deer nearby to clear well enough away. Jacob walked alongside her, eager as ever to protect Renesmee from anything and everything. Or to just follow her around in general.

She considered that she should probably be glad for Jacob being there: in some unusual ways, Jacob's constant presence was sometimes heartening. At the very least she'd never have to worry about being alone or unprotected.

She saw a smaller deer through a gap in the leaves and froze. It was grazing, evidently not yet aware of her. Renesmee creped forward carefully. Moving too fast would sure cause the deer to bolt. Its ears pricked and it turned to look at her. Renesmee moved a little more casually. When attempting to gain an animal's trust it was critical to be _less_ afraid of them then they were of you. Renesmee had a natural advantage; animals just seemed to be at ease around her.

The deer curiously brought its snout to her hand as she reached out to it. The moment its nose contacted the tips of her fingers, Renesmee fed it pleasing images with her gift. The deer settle down considerably, allowing Renesmee to easily get around to its side. A quick blow to the neck severed its spine and ended the poor beast's life. It probably didn't even realize what was happening. A clean and painless kill. She patted the deer's side and apologized in her heart for killing it.

"You're getting pretty good, Nessie!" said Jacob. "You're much more careful about making kills than Bella is."

"I have to be: I'm half-human," said Renesmee. She wasn't sure why she lied. If anyone could respect her wanting to make a painless kill it was be Jacob. Why didn't she trust Jacob with the truth? She shook her head and focused her attention back on her kill. Soul-searching and deep introspection could be put off.

Renesmee bent in over the deer and pierced its neck with her fangs. The warm blood began to flow into her mouth, bringing with it a wave of mild euphoria, yet it was nothing compared to human blood. She had been given "donated" blood a few times in her earlier days, but... Renesmee was determined to never let the blood of a human touch her lips again.

Aside from some baby formula when she was much younger, Renesmee had almost never actually eaten physical food. Animal blood was easy to obtain, and draining a fully-grown animal would keep her satisfied for at least a week. Somehow, her body had some way of converting raw blood into all the minerals and vitamins it needed to function. She grinned as she remembered scanning Carlisle's medical books or searching the internet to figure out how that process worked. In the long run she was forced to conclude that scientifically it didn't make a lick of sense, and yet it happened anyway. What more did she need to know?

Still, she was curious what it might feel like to bite into a burger instead of a deer's throat. She was unsure if her parents would view her as silly for asking to try human food. From a purely logical standpoint, why would she need it? For some reason, her parents seemed all too willing to keep her entrenched in only the vampiric half of her life. She _was_ half human...

The deer's blood began to run dry. Renesmee carefully wiped her chin clean with a handkerchief she kept for just that reason. She would need to wash it later. She turned to Jacob and smiled. "Go ahead, if you're hungry. Just wait until I'm not around, I would rather not see it," she said.

"That's ok, Nessie, I'll keep you company," Jacob said with a grin.

At least he was good-natured. Good-natured to the point of ruining her plan. With that a failure, she wandered off dejectedly in search of her parents. Her mother, at least, was probably going to get damn good and haima-drated for their visit with Charlie tomorrow.

It might have almost been more fun to turn her search into a mock-adventure, but that was probably going to get her nowhere in terms of amusement. Despite not being particularly tired, she sat down on a rock and looked around the area. Northwest Washington State always looked the same, no matter where Renesmee went. The land was dominated by green forests, the coast by grey ocean.

Renesmee knew that her family couldn't possibly live in Forks forever; they would eventually begin to stand out due to being ageless. Even so, she was eager to see the world beyond the secluded forest she had grown up in. Jacob sat down next to her and wrapped as much of his arm as he could fit around her shoulder. Despite herself, she smiled and patted him on the arm. No point stressing herself out worrying about it. Not when she had an eternity to get all the things she wanted out of life.

"Something bugging you, Nessie?" asked Jacob.

"Hmm, I guess... I guess I'm getting kinda bored of Washington," she said.

Jacob laughed. "You can't be, you've barely seen it! You've never been out of Forks, right?" he asked.

Renesmee shook her head.

"There's the problem," said Jacob. "I'll talk with your mom for you later and plan a day out somewhere new. She can't complain with letting you visit Seattle at least."

Renesmee gasped with genuine joy and beamed at Jacob. "Ah, thank you, Jacob!" she cried.

Jacob laughed again and got to his feet. "So, ready to go back? Do you want a ride? You're growing pretty fast, but I'll always carry you if you want," he said.

Renesmee giggled as she slipped off of the rock. "I'm perfectly able to run," she said, slapping Jacob on the side.

Jacob crossed his arms. "Oh-ho, that sounds like a challenge," he said.

Renesmee smirked up at him. "I'll race you," she said.

Jacob laughed and walked to her side. "All right then. First one back gets to decide the next game," he said. "Ready, set- hey!" Renesmee took off at the fastest sprint she could manage, laughing to herself all the way.

It didn't take long for Jacob's louder footsteps to catch up behind her. Fast as she was, it wouldn't be until she was fully grown that she could outpace Jacob. He was letting her win and she knew it, but this didn't bother her. She laughed and crashed through the thick undergrowth, letting low-hanging branches shatter against her body as she ran into them. She wasn't as strong as her full-blooded parents, but she could still perform physical feats beyond the abilities of fully grown humans. It wasn't often that she let loose and enjoyed having superior strength and endurance.

She returned just in time to see Edward finishing off a deer of his own. She wondered idly to herself how much her parents had to drink before they felt full. Having a smaller body suddenly felt advantageous. She only had to kill one deer and that was it.

"Already finished, Nessie?" asked Edward.

"Yes, Daddy," said Renesmee.

Bella scooped up Renesmee from behind and smiled at her. "And not even a single bloodstain on your dress. You're very efficient."

Renesmee forced a smile. "I try not to make a mess of things," she said.

Bella nodded approvingly. "We must always look our best," she said.

Renesmee frowned. Typical of her mother to miss the point entirely.

"It's getting late," Edward pointed out. The sky was indeed darkening, not like it mattered a whole lot to the Vampires.

Bella set Renesmee down and looked at her expectantly. "We'll let you decide, Nessie, do you want to camp out here tonight, or go back home?" she asked.

Renesmee considered (carefully, so as to avoid her father picking up on what she was thinking). If they camped out all night, her parents would probably spend the whole night watching her sleep. She had caught them doing that one time when she woke up in the middle of the night. Her father regaled her with a story of how he used to break into Bella's room to watch her sleep. Renesmee still wasn't sure if she was more disturbed by the fact that he had done it at all or the fact that Bella didn't seem the least bit bothered by it.

No, at least if they went back to their home, her parents would probably be too busy making nightly love to watch her sleep. The decision was clear enough, and the quartet found themselves driving (unnecessarily fast) home not long after that.

It was already dark by the time they returned, and Bella and Edward took Renesmee straight to their cottage and put her to bed. They missed the fact that there was a very new hole in their south-facing wall-window.

* * *

Leah stepped out into the night air. Alongside her was her mother, Seth, and Charlie Swan. The police chief's presence had been a surprise. They knew that their mother was dating him, but they hadn't expected to accidentally visit on one of these occasions.

Ultimately the visit had been a little awkward. Leah had attempted to politely excuse herself and Seth shortly after the siblings realized that they had unknowingly intruded on a romantic evening, only for Charlie to insist that they could stay. Leah was initially grateful, until her mother began reminiscing about Leah and Seth's childhood days. It only got worse when Charlie began to join in with tales of his own childhood. The entire situation was somewhat embarrassing for Leah from start to finish, but Seth at least seemed to enjoy himself.

"It was nice to see you, Chief Swan. Sorry again for crashing your date with mom," said Seth.

Fortunately, Charlie was rather good-natured about the whole matter. "Not at all, Sue's your mother first. We weren't planning anything special tonight anyways, just a simple visit," he said.

"See you, Chief," said Leah. Charlie nodded and smiled to her. He and Sue shared a good-bye kiss before he got into his cruiser and drove home.

With Charlie gone, Leah turned to her mother. "See you, Mom. Jacob might be getting back now, so..."

"I understand. Keep in touch, and keep your brother safe," said Sue.

Leah nodded, her eyes unusual soft. "I will. I promise," she said.

"Then go. Be good," said Sue.

Seth hugged his mother around the middle before he left. "We'll be back, Mom," he said.

"You be careful," said Sue. "Keep an eye out for your sister."

Seth rejoined Leah, and the siblings gave their mother a last wave goodbye before transforming back into wolves. Moments later the pair were racing through the woods, expertly avoiding trees and other obstacles despite the near-total darkness.

_"You sure you don't want to visit Emily?"_ asked Seth.

Leah narrowed her eyes. "_Absolutely not."_

_"Oh..."_

La Push had finally settled down quite a bit in the months following the Volturi's retreat. All of the very recently-phased wolves were giving an Alpha order to return to their ordinary lives. Sam wouldn't allow a lot of young wolves, some still children, to risk their futures playing wolf-vigilante. The newfound peace also gave Sam and Emily more time together. They had finally gotten married and Emily was already pregnant. It was to be her first child with Sam.

Leah had expected to have that right... and the right to have children at all.

Jacob's orders to guard the Cullen house were a convenient excuse, but in truth Leah more and more felt out of place in La Push. There were too many bad memories and too many people who would judge her. Her reputation as a "harpy" had spread and become ingrained on the people there. If her mom and brother didn't live there, she'd probably abandon the area altogether. After that, maybe even the entire state with it.

_"Leah..." _

Right, telepathy.

_"Don't worry, Seth, I'm not going anywhere."_

She could feel the relief coming off of him. Before she could stop herself, she gave a sort of strange barking laugh; it sounded awkward while phased. "_You actually want your sister that 'ruins everything' to stick around?"_

Leah expected that Seth would be blushing if his fur didn't obscure it. "_You know I didn't mean that seriously, Leah."_

_"Well I'm glad to hear it."_

_"Hey, at least being in Jacob's pack means we get to spend even more time together, right?" _

Leah could feel Seth's exuberance rolling off of him. The kid was as good as ever at emoting despite not having a mouth to do it with.

_"Don't forget, I'm still your boss!"_

_"Right, right."_

* * *

"So on the whole, it was a very productive first day for the two of us," Lelu said to her laptop.

Arshaka was grinned back at her through a video chat. "You tricked Meryl into stripping already? You're getting good," he said.

Even through the small video window, it was easy to see that Arshaka was a large man. He was almost as tall as Aaron. He was dark-skinned, which matched his loose-fitting and ragged black clothing. He had a number of black-metal insignias that dangled from a golden necklace he always wore. Not even Lelu knew of their significance. His black hair was shaggy and fell haphazardly down his back.

Lelu laughed. "Yes, that was the highlight of the day for me, really," she said.

Meryl shoved Lelu out of the way, so as to glare at Arshaka. "Now I see why Lelu's so messed up," she said. "I'm going to lodge a complaint with my brother if you two keep doing this."

Arshaka laughed and grinned at Meryl. "C'mon, don't get me in trouble! I'll be good, I swear!"

Meryl glared at Arshaka and moved away, allowing Lelu to continue her conversation. "I'm going to link the cameras and bugs up over to your end as well. Make yourself useful and help us spy on the vamps, ok?"

"It'll give me something to do aside from babysit Aaron," said Arshaka. "Oh yes, there's something else. Aiden contacted us; he should be able to make it up here in about a week."

Lelu smirked. "Excellent. Once Aiden gets here the vamps won't know what hit them."

"What about the others?" asked Meryl.

Arshaka delayed for a moment. "I know that Sergei and Huihana aren't very far away. They should probably arrive at about the same time as Aiden. I really don't know what Eun-mi and Mafuane are doing, and there's no telling what Mom is up to. The Green and the White will probably be the last to arrive."

"Figures," Lelu grumbled.

"That also means," Arshaka added sternly, "that the two of you shouldn't try anything foolish for the time being. Play it safe."

Lelu laughed and grinned at Arshaka. "No sweat. The hard part's already over now that we've infiltrated their house."

"All right then. I'll keep watch of things on my end," said Arshaka. A moment later the video chat cut off.

"Look like things are gonna start getting boring around here," Lelu said as she laid back on her bed.

She glanced at Meryl. Despite all earlier protests, she was watching one of the free movies the motel offered. "Meryl, you've gone over to the dark side!" shrieked Lelu.

Meryl shrugged and waved Lelu off. "There's nothing better to do, and the hammy acting and terrible effects are pretty funny," she said.

Lelu shook her head slowly and then left to take a bath. A moment later buzzing from Meryl's own laptop caught her attention. Aaron was calling her for a video chat. She smiled as his face came into view. "Hey big guy! How's it going?" asked Meryl.

Aaron shrugged. "Boring. I've been stuck up in my room all day with nothing to do but listen to the television."

"Why not actually watch it?" asked Meryl.

Aaron simply shook his head. "Is Lelu with you?"

"No, she's bathing," said Meryl.

"How's she been acting?" Aaron asked in a hushed tone.

Meryl glanced towards the bathroom and sighed. "I suspect she's actually doing a lot more thinking than she lets on, but it's hard to say. She keeps goofing off and harassing me."

"Harassing you?" asked Aaron.

"Yeah," said Meryl. "She's acting like a huge pervert. No idea if it's genuine or not."

"Don't let her touch you."

"I know."

"When did you last put your lotion on?" asked Aaron.

"This morning," said Meryl.

Aaron nodded. "That's good. Just be careful around her."

Mery laughed softly. "Just hang in there, okay big guy?"

Aaron groaned. "I'll try."

"Over and out then. I need to get some sleep so we can spy on the vamps," said Meryl.

Aaron gave his farewells, and cut the video on his end. Meryl turned off her movie and prepared herself for bed.

* * *

Adella knelt in prayer in the long cathedral. Behind her stood a rough-skinned, red-headed man. His appearance was not out of the ordinary, save for his dull red longcoat and the unusually-large crow on his shoulder.

Aiden Brandon stood cross-armed, his eyes closed and his expression impassive. Only the occasional twitch of his jaw betrayed his frustration. Eventually, she said the end of her prayers and stood. She took care to smooth out her dress as she did. Adella caught Aiden's small sigh of relief and smiled at him. "I'm sorry, was it a dull wait?" she asked.

Aiden scoffed and let his arms fall to his sides. "I have no right to complain to you," he said, "even if I do think your prayers are unncessary."

Adella tilted her head just slightly. "I find it silly that you don't believe in God despite living in a world where things like vampires exist."

Aiden laughed humorlessly and stroked his crow lightly. "I believe in what I can see."

"I see," said Adella. She sighed. "I suppose you're curious why I called you out here?"

"Yes. I want to rejoin Meryl as soon as possible," said Aiden.

Adella narrowed her eyes at Aiden. "Do not believe that I've moved the Twelve sides the way I have for no reason. Meryl may still be a trainee, but _lightfire_ will dispel the only protection the vampires have against Lelu's abilities."

Aiden met Adella's glare. "You actually _trust_ the little wretch?"

"Of course I do," Adella said sternly. "Lelu has the greatest control over her art of any of the Disciples other than Sabal. Do not make the mistake of underestimating her just because of her behavior. I assigned her with Arshaka for a reason,"

Aiden and Adella's expressions both softened. "So she's your spy," said Aiden.

Adella nodded. "Why do you think I sent him to Washington before the other Sages? It's likely that he won't do anything foolish yet, but I still have to give him the temptation. He might try something if he believes he's the only Sage present in an important region."

"Are you even sure we have anything to fear from him?" asked Aiden.

"No, but I would be a poor leader if I didn't consider every possibility," said Adella.

He cocked an eyebrow at her. "Are you saying you've accounted for the chance that any of us could betray the Third Generation?"

"Yes," said Adella.

Aiden frowned and took a step back. "I don't like this. These orders from the Second Generation," he said.

"This entire situation has me feeling uneasy," Adella agreed. She walked closer to Aiden, the look in her eyes turning urgent. "I have an important order for you," she added.

Aiden was surprised by Adella's earnestness. "What is it?"

"It involves the possibility of me dying in the near future," said Adella.

* * *

_Screams. People were screaming and dying. The smell of blood and death filled the air. A little girl lay on her stomach, trapped under the pile of wood that was once her house. The monsters ripped it down as if it were made of sticks._

_Fear... She shivered in terror as the monsters prowled around. Somehow they didn't see her. Why didn't they catch her?_

_Then, loneliness. Pain... How many hours did she spend with a wood beam lying across her back and legs, preventing her from even moving? She was so thirsty, her throat felt like sandpaper._

_Suddenly, Light...She wondered at first if she was seeing things when the wood piles were lifted up. Whoever it was, they shouted out in surprise. A survivor? Why call her a survivor? Nobody else made it? Mommy...? Daddy...?_

Lelu bolted upright in her bed, screaming. Meryl jerked awake and turned blearily to look around. Lelu sat trembling in her bed, breathing unsteadily with her knees tucked in close. When she noticed her partner's distress, Meryl sat up in alarm.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Lelu turned slowly to look at Meryl. "Meryl," she mumbled. With a cry, she practically leaped from her bed and grabbed tightly onto Meryl. "Please, just let me... let me..."

Meryl caught on quickly and laid back down, pulling the covers over them. Lelu held on to Meryl throughout the night, though her trembling died down quickly.

* * *

Still slowly building things up. Things'll begin to move faster in time ;D

Anyways, see you next week.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Sunspot**_

_Only a few months have passed since the Cullen's encounter with the Volturi, and Renesmee is growing with each passing day. However, she longs to explore the world and find her own destiny. Meanwhile, forever is looking considerably shorter when the winter incident provokes a mysterious organization lurking in the shadows to step into the light... Rated M for character death. Ye be warned._

Disclaimer: Twilight and its peeps belong to Meyer. Only the OC's belong to me.

* * *

Author's Note: Thanks to a warning from some reviewers, I noticed there was a bizarre errant line in the previous chapter. It's been removed since, but I'm still baffled as to how it got there. I just wanted to take the time to apologize for that.

Please review, constructive criticism is always appreciated! :D

* * *

_Four – __To be, or not to be_

_-R.C. Cullen_

* * *

The following morning, Lelu awoke to find herself in Meryl's warm embrace. A quick glance at the steady rise and fall of Meryl's chest told her that Meryl was still sleeping. She smiled blisfully and cuddled closer. It took her a few seconds to remember exactly _why_ she was sleeping in Meryl's bed and hugging her. It then took her a few seconds more to realize that she was incredibly warm. Her entire body and the sheets were soaked with sweat.

The Black Disciple groaned in disgust and scrambled out of the bed, waking Meryl up. "What's going on, Lelu?" Meryl asked blearily.

"We're switching blankets tonight, that's what's going on," groaned Lelu. "I swear you've got the good ones. I need another freaking shower."

Lelu hastily tore off her sodden nightgown and practically dashed for the bathroom. Meryl saw all of the sweat on her sheets and lost no time getting out of bed.

* * *

Edward, Bella and Renesmee returned to the main house early the next day. Alice greeted them on the way in, and somberly showed them the damage to the southward window. Renesmee silently stared at the broken glass while Alice filled Edward and Bella in on what had happened. Renesmee felt a chill creep up her spine. She had hoped that the danger was over.

Her mother, however, didn't share her concern. Instead, she seemed annoyed. "Are you _sure_ you didn't see anything, Alice?" asked Bella.

Edward leaned against a wall and stared down at his crossed arms. "She didn't, Bella."

Bella narrowed her eyes at Alice. "The Volturi couldn't be trying to attack us again, could they?"

"It's possible," Alice said slowly.

Emmett laughed and slammed a fist into his hand as he walked into the room. "Excellent, this time we'll crush them for good!"

Rosalie shook her head as she followed Emmett into the room.

Bella glared at Emmett briefly before turning her attention back to Edward. "Should we get help again?"

"Yes, they're probably in danger too," said Rosalie.

Renesmee gave a small gasp. Danger. What if her grandfather was in danger? Renesmee tugged at Bella's leg to get her attention. "Mommy, what about Grandpa?" she asked.

Bella glanced from Renesmee to Edward. Edward paused for a moment and then nodded. "You should probably take her for a short visit. We don't need Charlie getting worried and nosy at a time like this," he said.

"All right, I'll call Charlie and let him know we're going over there instead," said Bella. She turned and left the room.

Emmette watched Rensesmee for a moment. Renesmee had turned to somberly stare at the broken window again. Emmett snuck up on Renesmee, grabbed her around the middle and twirled her around, making her squeal with delight. "Hey Nessie, let's go finish Kael off before you leave," he said.

Renesmee nodded eagerly. "Okay, let's go!" she cried.

Emmett carried Renesmee out of the room. Rosalie followed behind the pair. Once the trio were gone, Alice gave Edward a questioning look.

"He's trying to keep her mind off the Volturi," said Edward. "I don't approve of their game, but for now Renesmee needs the distraction."

"Don't worry Edward. I-I just need to keep a better eye on things. I won't miss something like this again," said Alice.

Edward gave Alice a look. "You shouldn't need to convince yourself of that," he said.

* * *

Under the night sky, a pale creature caught a particular scent on the vampire smirked and turned around, just in time to see a single human walking up to it. "Out a little late for a stroll, aren't you?" asked the vampire.

The approaching man had his head bowed under a wide-brimmed hat. The slight stoop of his back and the slow pace of his stride betrayed his age. The vampire saw a pair of sheathed broadswords on the old man's back and smirked. "You shouldn't wander so far out, old man," he said.

"I've been trailing you for three days, Cao Ling," said the old man.

Ling frowned. "Have you, now? Do you have any idea what you're getting yourself into?"

The old man drew his swords and held them loose in his hands. "To a warm bed, and hopefully soon. My body doesn't seem to work the way I want it to anymore." He removed the hat and cast it aside, allowing Ling a better look at the old man. His long white hair was neat and kept in a ponytail that fell to his shoulders. His face and hands were heavily gnarled with wrinkles. Despite that, there was still a glint in his eyes and his grip was still steady.

What was it about this man that unnerved the vampire? He was obviously a human. The idea of him posing a threat was ridiculous. Taking comfort in that, Ling laughed and held his clawed hands in front of his face. As Ling lunged foreward with his right arm, the old man raised his sword and swung, gracefully sidestepping the vampire. Ling swore, as he forced himself to a halt. Then, glanced down and swore again. His right arm had not come with him. "How the hell did you do that, Human?"

The old man glanced over his shoulder at Ling. "I can see why you might underestimate me," he said slowly.

Ling roared and lunged with his other arm. The old man turned and drove one of his swords into Ling's palm, sliding the blade up the length of his forarm. Ling stared down at his arm, aghast.

"As a human I must seem so frail, but do you know how I managed to distinguishe myself time and time again while fighting your kind?" asked the old man. "I make the trace earthen impurities in my swords move at a high speed, causing the blades to vibrate so quickly that even vampires like you cannot see the motion."

The old man stared into Ling's eyes, his face set grimly. "Thanks to that vibration I can slice through vampiric skin like warm butter." To demonstrate, the old man flicked his sword. Ling's arm split in half down its length.

Ling screamed and held his ruined arm close to his chest. "Damn you, you human scum!" he roared. A feral growl ripped through his throat.

The old man silenced Ling when he ran his swords crossways through his throat. "I'll let you in on a little secret; my name is Guan Heng. I've been fighting and killing monsters like you for sixty years. You're nothing to me but an upstart who hasn't even learned to _breath_."

Ling's severed head fell in a heap along with the rest of his body parts. Heng dropped a small device in the middle of what was left of the vampire. It blazed forth into a very brief but intense fire, leaving nothing of him behind. Heng stopped and watched the night sky for a short while before he returned to town.

* * *

Charlie walked out towards Bella and Renesmee. He didn't stop to give much thought to that fact that Renesmee looked older than he remembered. It had long been the norm for him. He smiled wide and pulled her into his arms. "It's great to see you again, Nessie," he said.

Renesmee smiled as well and buried her face into Charlie's neck. "You too, Grandpa," she said.

"Good to see you Bella. And... Jacob?" he added, frowning at the sight of the werewolf. "Not that you're not welcome, but what brings you here?"

Jacob hesitated for a moment. "Oh uhh, just wanted to swing by with Bella and Nessie. Watch the game with you guys."

Charlie's brow furrowed, but he didn't say anything else. The four went inside.

Once inside, Renesmee sat next to Charlie on the sofa. From her comfortable spot, she began watching a baseball game with him. Sports was a subject she had little knowledge in as it wasn't something her parents made any serious effort exposing her to. Generally, the only chance she got to watch a game was when Emmett or her grandfather was watching. True, her family would play baseball when they had a convenient thuderstorm, but those days were far and few between, and Renesmee was never actually allowed to join in. She was kept on the sidelines with her mother and Esme.

She smiled and nodded along dutifully as Charlie pointed out the various players and gave his opinion on them. He also kept her up to date on the scores and reminded her of some of the finer points of the game. He usually did this every time they watched a game together, so Renesmee already knew most of what he told her. Still, she didn't mind. It was fun being able to spend time with her grandfather, the way they only new thing she actually learned that day was that the game she was watching was a spring training exhibition match.

While waiting for one of the players to make a pitch, Renesmee glanced over to her mother and Jacob on the couch. Bella was idly watching the game. Renesmee understood that baseball was one of the only sports her mother had any interest in, no doubt Charlie's influence. Jacob, on the other hand, spent almost as much time watch Renesmee as he did the game. Eventually he turned and smiled at her. Renesmee kept her eyes fixed on the game from that point on.

A little past noon, during a commercial, Charlie suddenly stood up. "If nobody minds, I will be making lunch today," he announced with an air of triumph.

Bella and Jacob both glanced at each other nervously. Renesmee caught the meaning behind the gesture, but Charlie seemed to have misunderstood. "No, it's fine! Sue's been teaching me a lot about cooking the past few months. I've really improved!" Renesmee couldn't help but laugh at Charlie's confident grin.

"I'll help, Grandpa!" she cried.

Jacob shifted where he sat. "I'll try some, Charlie."

"I'm not hungry, dad," said Bella.

"Suit yourself, Bella," Charlie said as he walked into the kitchen. Renesmee followed after him, rooting through the fridge and retrieving the ingredients he asked her to find. In the long run it turned out his big lunch plans was little more than turkey sandwiches. Renesmee smiled as she watched her Grandfather prepare the meal.

"Oh, Grandpa, you better give Jacob two sandwiches or put extra on his," Renesmee suggested. She didn't want to see her grandfather losing his helping to Jacob's infamous appetite.

"I'm sure you know best, Nessie," said Charlie. "Hey, does Jacob hang around your place often? I haven't seen him at all in La Push when I've gone to see Sue."

Renesmee let out a tiny gasp. An idea occurred to her. "Oh yes, Grandpa, Jacob is always at our place. He plays with me _all_ the time," she said as innocently as possible.

She didn't often need to put much effort into acting her apparent age, as nobody at home expected it of her. There were times that it was advantageous to adopt the childish naivety that her appearance implied.

She could see Charlie's mouth twitch downward into a frown. Renesmee felt a thrill of success at the brief gesture. Surely the police chief knew a thing or two about child grooming...

With the sandwiches ready, Renesmee returned to the living room to tell Jacob and Bella. To her surprise, Jacob was already on his way in. He beamed down at her. "Is lunch ready?" he asked.

Renesmee frowned briefly, but turned and forced a smile. "Yeah, c'mon!" she cried.

Renesmee grinned at the sandwich Charlie laid out for her. Excitement bubbled up inside her. Real food. The sandwich was slightly bland to the taste, and yet delicious in its own way. Chewing her food was a slightly alien experience for her, but she found it fulfilling. She even trembled slightly from the exhilaration of it.

Charlie took notice and beamed at her. "Wow, Nessie, I didn't know my cooking was that good," he said.

Renesmee laughed nervously, realizing how silly she must have looked. "Yeah, Grandpa, you're a pro!" she said, rubbing the back of her head.

"Great, wait 'til I tell Sue! Her lessons must be working."

The meal passed quickly (Jacob ultimately wound up making himself another sandwich or two), and then the family returned to the front room to continue watching the game. Renesmee's spirits were uplifted by how she successfully "slipped up" about Jacob's behavior, to her grandfather. However, she knew that it might take more to get Charlie fully suspicious. Fortunately she was again sitting next to him, making the next stage in her plan simple to carry out.

Renesmee closed her eyes and concentrated. Her control over her own power was improving with each day, but her next plan would require as much focus as she could muster. She slipped her hand into Charlie's and began to use her gift on him. Being able to project her thoughts had never really struck as very special compared to what her father or aunt Alice could do, but in that moment, the ability was perfect for her needs.

She felt a pang of guilt at this. She didn't like the idea of toying around with her grandfather's mind. She would have to keep it limited. The last thing she wanted was to convince him that he was hallucinating. She sent him very brief flashes, less than a second in length. Short images of herself with Jacob; it wasn't hard at all to picture those in her mind. After doing this several times she stopped. She silently hoped that Charlie would convince himself their talk in the kitchen had allowed his mind to wander.

Charlie shifted uncomfortably behind Renesmee. In her heart, Renesmee apologized to her grandfather. She sent him no further images that day. Their visit passed from that point without incident. Charlie and Jacob got more into the game and were elated to see their team winning. Their exhuberance managed to shake some of Renesmee's guilt. Bella said little, and watched impassively. Once the game ended, Bella announced her intention to take Renesmee home. Renesmee hugged her grandfather tight one last time on her way out the door.

Charlie asked for Bella to hold up and talk to him inside before leaving. He shifted uncomfortably as he glanced at the closed door to ensure Jacob and Renesmee were still outside. He had to be careful about what he had to say...

"Hey Bella, has Jacob been hanging around a lot?" he asked.

Bella shrugged and folded her arms. "Yeah, Dad, why?"

"I'm just curious. Billy's told me he hasn't been home much, lately."

"Jake's a grown man, he can do what he likes," said Bella.

"No, I understand that, and I'm glad he's not getting lost to who-knows-where. It's just," he paused to consider his words, "he's not still hanging off of you, is he? I mean you're married now and-"

Bella gasped. "Oh, is that what's been bugging you, Dad? No, everything's fine there, now. He and Edward patched things up after I got back and they're not fighting anymore. He's great with Nessie too, keeps her company all the time. She's fond of him."

Charlie frowned again. "He spends a lot of time with her?"

"Yeah, he's like an uncle to her," Bella said impatiently. "Hey Dad, sorry, but we really have to get back. Is everything ok?"

Charlie shook his head and waved her off. "No, it's fine. Have a safe drive back. Keep my little granddaughter safe," he said.

Bella nodded and left without a word. Charlie could only hope that the uneasy feeling he was getting was just his nerves.

* * *

Arshaka languidly watched the monitors, which there display the various rooms of the Cullen house in a monochrome. Ordinarily the lack of color would be an issue, but Lelu had assured Arshaka that the Cullen house and its occupants were white enough that it wouldn't matter. They didn't tend to move around much during the day, so most of the cameras went unused. He sighed in weariness and irritation; the vampires never did anything worth watching. He had no idea the creatures could be so _boring_.

Some signs of life drew his attention to the foyer, where Bella, Renesmee and Jacob had just arrived.

"And the family's all back home," he said unenthusiastically. He turned to look at Aaron. "What do you make of this, man? These are the dreadful vamps who're gonna help us wipe out the Volturi?"

Aaron gave a shrug. The Yellow Disciple had come to stay with Arshaka that day out of sheer boredom. Unlike the others, he couldn't watch the monitors.

"This big kid doesn't look like one of the vampires," said Arshaka. "I guess he must be one of the people from the native reserve nearby. What was it called again?"

"I'm not sure why it matters," muttered Aaron.

Arshaka scoffed and continued watching the video. "He's following their little girl around. Bah, he's acting like a puppy about to go for a walk."

Aaron's breath caught and he sat upright. "He looks enamored? By a little girl?"

"Yeah," said Arshaka.

Aaron frowned into the wall for nearly a minute, and then left the room without a word. Arshaka briefly stared at the door in confusion, and then turned back to watching the Cullens as they went through their nightly show-routine.

* * *

The two women were in the middle of a forest. The sun had not yet come up over the top of the trees, leaving the pair under deep shadows.

The younger of the two was a woman with dark skin. Her long black untidy hair splayed out over her shoulders and arms as she crouched low to the ground, seemingly deep in thought as she kept one hand pressed to a tree root and the other on the soil. The other woman seemed to be in her early thirties. She idly played with her braid-bound black hair as she sat on a larger root and watched the younger looking woman at work. Respectively, they were Mafuane and Kim Eun-mi.

Eun-mi remained silent and moved little, knowing full well that she wasn't to distract her mentor while she worked. She had been sitting like that for nearly an hour, and so her joints felt a little stiff. Patience was an important virtue when one worked with Mafuane. They had been hunting a trio of vampires for the past few days. They were subtler than most, as if they realized they were being followed. It took all of Mafuane's talents with nature to pick up their trail.

Mafuane eventually looked up. "The vampires are directly ahead of us and not far. We should end this soon."

Eun-mi gave a sigh of relief and slipped off of the root. "Great. After that we can finally join the others."

Mafuane placed her hand upon a tree. A shudder ran up and down the trunk, causing a small ripple to spread through the soil. The leaves above quivered excitedly. Mafuane turned to look at Eun-mi, her eyes glowing green. "This will suffice. Go ahead, I'll remain here and direct the trees."

Eun-mi nodded. She steadied herself and leaped, twirling in the air as she did. She briefly settled herself, floating in midair, and the tilted upward gently and floated above the treetops. A small whirlind encircled her, keeping her aloft. Angling herself forward, she sped up in the direction Mafuane had indicted. Beneath her, the very trees pulled their roots out of the earth and began to walk the lands. It only took moments for the vampires to be discovered.

Eun-mi's biting winds sliced more fiercely than any knife; the vampires were torn asunder under her gale, and Mafuane's trees held the strength of all of the earth; the vampires were smashed to pieces under their monstrous blows.

Moments later, Eun-mi bowed her head towards the pyre of the dismembered vampire pieces. "At least we were able to save you from yourselves. Be at peace," she said in a murmur.

Mafuane observed the ashes expressionlessly. "We're finished here. We will report to Los Angeles as ordered."

Eun-mi paused briefly to think. "We should head to Nairobi, then. That's our best chance to catch a flight back to the United States."

Mafuane nodded and smiled. "Thank you, Eun-mi."

Eun-mi shook her head. "Just doing my job."

Mafuane turned and left. Eun-mi was at her side. The pair left the vampires behind to smolder under the shade of the trees.

* * *

No need to sleep meant that the Cullens were still up in the dead of night, pursing whatever flighty interests they happened to have. For Emmett and Rosalie, that generally involved spending the night making passionate love. Even after seventy years it never got old (though this could partly be explained by the pair "experimenting" into new techniques to keep things fresh). As an added bonus, the couple used to have some fun irritating Edward with their antics. Although this was no longer a possibility, they didn't let that stop them.

They were currently taking a break, not for lack of stamina, but to simply enjoy the ambiance of the moonlight and their own passion. Rosalie was partially laying over Emmett. She idly traced the lines of his chest with her fingers. Emmett was softly running his own hand over Rosalie's smooth curving figure. It was just about the only thing Emmett actually had some finesse in, if only through sheer practice.

"Have I mentioned lately how sexy you are, Rose?" he asked.

She smiled at him as she propped herself up slightly, allowing her soft breasts to brush against his bare skin. She smiled at him. "You could stand to mention it a little more often." She gave a contented sigh and let herself settle back down, nuzzling against him. "Of course," she added softly, "you're not so bad either. I chose my big, strong man for a reason."

Emmett closed his eyes, wrapped his arms around Rosalie and laid back. More than just the pleasure of the sex, the closeness and intimacy was pure bliss. Every night it reminded him anew that he had this to share with Rosalie, his one and only partner. It didn't matter to him or her that they would have every night in their foreseeable eternities to share. The only thing that was important to them in that moment was the time they had.

Rosalie was nearly motionless on top of him. Her only movement was slight breathing, purely out of habit. If he didn't know better, Emmett would guess she had fallen asleep. When they were alone, it saw a whole new side of Rosalie come out. She could be just as fierce as she ever was, but she showed a soft side to him that she only otherwise showed to Renesmee.

"I actually think you've been better than ever the past few months," said Emmett.

Rosalie peered up at him and smiled. "Hmm, I think it's maternity, dear," she said with a soft laugh.

Emmett smiled and ran his hand through Rosalie's hair. "Feeling satisfied now, thanks to Renesmee?" he asked.

"Yes. I only wish she could have been genuinely ours," Rosalie said slightly wistfully. "Still, I suppose I shouldn't complain. I never imagined I would have the opportunity to be a mother at all."

Emmett snickered to himself. "I wish she was ours for a different reason," he said. Rosalie gave him a questioning look. "Think about it, she's got Wardo and Bella for parents. It'll be lucky if the poor girl doesn't grow up to be just as stuffy and stuck-up as those two."

"That's where we come in, right?" asked Rosalie.

"Yeah, gotta make sure her life doesn't get too boring," said Emmett. "Maybe we should kidnap her for a day and take her out somewhere," he said casually.

Rosalie got on her hands and knees and smiled down at him. "That, is a good suggestion," she said. "I think you've earned a reward for that _excellent_ idea," she purred.

Emmett folded his hands beneath his head and grinned back up at her. "I think I like the sound of that," he said.

Rosalie inched backwards and bent down. Their short break over, the couple's nightly excitement began anew.

* * *

At the motel, Lelu leaned in close to the monitors, a big grin on her face. "Ooohhh, she's skilled! I'll pick up some wonderful tips-"

"Lelu, stop spying on them, you pervert!" hissed Meryl.

"I take offense at that, Meryl!" Lelu said in a mock-hurt tone. "I have the cameras off in that room, so the only thing I'm getting is audio!"

Meryl shot Lelu a dirty look.

"C'mon, Meryl, if I hadn't been not-spying on them I wouldn't have caught that last juicy tidbit. If they're gonna take the girl away from their home it could be a good chance for us to move in closer!"

Meryl groaned loudly and kept her eyes on the monitor she was observing. Carlisle seemed busy working on some sort of research. Alice was pacing back and forth with a hand pressed to her temple. Esme was looking over old photo albums. Meryl sighed and shook her head. The other Cullen's actions were utterly boring. It annoyed her to admit that Lelu might actually have discovered the only piece of information worth remembering.

There was one thing that bothered Meryl, however. "Where did Edward, Bella, and their daughter go off to?" she asked.

Lelu shrugged and rewinded some of the earlier recordings. "They left the main house at about nine o'clock. They didn't come in last night at all after they left. I guess they must have some personal place we missed," she said.

"Why the hell would those two get a private house all to themselves?" asked Meryl.

"I dunno. They're special snowflakes? Maybe it's a parent's perogative."

Meryl crossed her arms and stared angrily at the other Cullens. "Watch them be doing something important that we're missing."

"Meh, I doubt it. Probably something stupid," Lelu mumbled. "But seriously, imagine what sort of pristine, missionary-position sex those two could possibly be having. I bet they pick up techniques from a harlequin romance novel."

Meryl threw a pillow at Lelu and announced her intention to go to bed.

* * *

For the next two days, Meryl and Lelu observed the Cullens. The vampires seemed to shrug off the broken window and the invasion of their house, and went back to their ordinary lives. Watching the Cullens go about their daily routine, or more specifically how their actions seemed to gravitate around Renesmee provided a useful clue. The young dhampir was like the center of their lives. This only strengthened Meryl and Lelu's belief that Renesmee was the key to discovering the truth behind the winter incident. Getting in contact with her somehow would likely become imperative.

It was on their fourth day since arriving in Forks that an opportunity presented itself.

Rosalie walked in on Alice in one of the side rooms of the house, and backed her into a corner. The spritely girl looked at her curiously.

"Look Alice, Emmett and I are gonna take Renesmee out to Seattle in two days for some fun. I bet you've seen flashes of it already, right?" asked Rosalie.

Alice averted her eyes. "Actually, I've been busy trying to observe the Volturi," she mumbled. "I can't get anything definite. Just a lot of flashes and blurs."

Rosalie scoffed and waved her arm. "Then they aren't making up their minds, isn't that what this usually means?"

"Usually," Alice said slowly.

"Then I'm sure there'll be no harm in taking Renesmee out for one measly day, right? I want to be sure you're not gonna blab to Edward or Bella and ruin it," she said firmly. "There's a convention in Seattle for the next few days and I thought it might do Renesmee some good to spend some time around actual humans."

"I guess it wouldn't hurt," said Alice. She shook her head and sighed. "Fine, just don't tell Edward I had any part in this. The last thing I need is him complaining to me."

Rosalie smiled and stepped aside. "Thanks, Alice," she said.

Now she just had to be careful not to think too much about her scheme. There was a reason Rosalie tended to do most of the planning for any affairs that involved going under Edward's notice. Emmett had a lot of good qualities, but mental control wasn't one of them. Edward would pick up on their plan easily if Emmett spent too much time thinking about it.

On the positive side, Emmett likely forgot about their arrangement. That would protect him in an unusual fashion from Edward's telepathy. Now it was up to Rosalie not to blow it.

Meanwhile, Meryl was hurriedly looking through her belongings. "Lelu, what's the date?" she asked.

Lelu grumbled and checked her calendar. "Uhh, the fourth," she said. "What's got you so excited?" She glanced curiously at Meryl.

"In two days it's... Aha, just as I thought!" she cried victoriously. "I can't believe they're gonna take her to Seattle on the opening day of Sakura-con." Meryl grinned wide and leaped off of her bed. "This'll be perfect! I'll put together a costume I've been planning!"

Lelu shrugged and continued observing the Cullens.

The following day, Lelu was lounging on one of the beds as she watched Meryl step out of the bathroom. She was wearing a largely-white outfit with blue trim. It was a shirt of sorts that ended in a miniskirt, with a large sleeved vest over it. The vest ended in slightly bulky blue wristguards. Up from her small white and pink-winged shoes she wore leggings that reached to just below her miniskirt, and a waist-cape attached over the skirt.

Meryl smiled and twirled in place. "So, how do I look?" she asked.

Lelu glanced at Meryl, and then back at the monitors. "Like a weaboo," she said lazily.

Meryl laughed and planted a hand over her hip. "You wanna get befriended?" she asked.

"Oooohhh, so I get to dress up as Fate?" asked Lelu.

Meryl stared, wide-eyed. Lelu smirked back at Meryl. "What, you didn't think I knew a thing or two?" she asked.

Instead of looking upset by any measure, Meryl beamed and balled her hands up in front of her face. "Lelu, that's awesome! Hang on, I'll pull an all-nighter and make sure your outfit is great!" she shrieked. The Black Disciple stared back at her partner in shock.

"It's a good thing I don't have to sow this by hand, or this'd be impossible," Meryl said as she immediately pulled up an image of an older Fate Testarossa on her laptop.

"Oh dear, what have I gotten myself into," Lelu muttered through a bite of pizza.

* * *

Beware Red Devil Meryl, the Lyrical Mahou Shoujo!

See you guys never time :p


	5. Chapter 5

_**Sunspot**_

_Only a few months have passed since the Cullen's encounter with the Volturi, and Renesmee is growing with each passing day. However, she longs to explore the world and find her own destiny. Meanwhile, forever is looking considerably shorter when the winter incident provokes a mysterious organization lurking in the shadows to step into the light... Rated M for character death. Ye be warned._

Disclaimer: Twilight and its peeps belong to Meyer. Only the OC's belong to me.

Author's Note: Special thanks to my new beta, Aviva Tsuion! Constructive criticism is appreciated! So anyways, I'm sure you guys noticed I missed last week? I decided to hold updated bi-weekly from now on. I've had to change up certain scenes from my chapters and my beta needs time to work, so updating every other week will be a lot easier on us both.

* * *

_Five – __Now go we in content_

_-R.C. Cullen_

* * *

The following day began ordinarily for Renesmee. She woke up, read for a little while with her mom, and spent some time walking around outside. It was a boring yet peaceful monotony. However, Renesmee's day quickly took a turn for the strange. At about eight o'clock while Renesmee was enjoying the morning air, Rosalie burst out from who-knows-where, seized Renesmee, and broke into a full run towards the highway.

Renesmee spent a couple of minutes bouncing awkwardly in Rosalie's arms. "Uhh, hey Aunt Rose. Where... are we going somewhere today?"

"Emmett and I are taking you away!" Rosalie said without missing a beat.

Renesmee blinked. Well _that_ explained it. "Oh. Okay."

Naturally, it didn't take long for Jacob to notice Rosalie running off with his girl. He immediately slipped into a rage as he transformed. He tolerated Rosalie spending more time with Renesmee than she was due, but he wasn't about to let her just run off with Renesmee. He quickly caught her scent and gave chase. With all the speed he had, he followed the scent around the trees and the bushes. Rosalie was fast, but he was faster, and he could smell the scent growing stronger. He was closing in. Sensing that Renesmee was within reach, he leaped over a bush – and landed on one of Renesmee's old dresses. It took Jacob less than a second to realize that he had been fooled. He quivered in rage and worked to pick up a new scent.

Rosalie took a scenic route, winding in circles, back and forth, every so often she dropped more of Renesmee's belongings to further throw off Jacob's pursuit. After only a few minutes, Jacob was going in circles, confusing himself trying to find a scent to follow. It wasn't until nearly an hour later that he finally left in defeat to inform Bella and Edward of Rosalie's "kidnapping".

After a while, Renesmee caught sight of a black jeep parked on the side of the highway. She correctly guessed that it was Rosalie's destination. As they came closer she saw Emmett at the wheel, grinning at them through the window. Rosalie quickly slipped into the back seat and buckled Renesmee in. The moment Rosalie confirmed that Renesmee was fastened securely, Emmett gunned the engine. Renesmee was too busy wondering where exactly Emmett and Rosalie were taking her to worry about the speed Emmett was driving at.

Emmett looked up and smirked at Rosalie through the rear view mirror. "Brilliant plan, Rose! Did they follow you?"

Rosalie scoffed and crossed her arms. "Please, you know I'm better than that. It'll be an hour or two before they can follow us _this_ far." She laughed in satisfication. "We'll be all the way to Seattle before they even can guess where we're going."

Renesmee looked at Rosalie excitedly. Finally she was getting some answers, and they were promising ones at that. "Seattle? That's where we're going?"

Emmett adjusted the mirror to look at Renesmee instead. "That's right. Rosalie did a little digging and there's some kind of convention there."

Rosalie turned and smiled warmly at Renesmee. "I've never been to something like this – it's not really our thing - but it should be fun. We're at least hoping you'll enjoy yourself. You can meet some ordinary people for once, see new things, that sort of thing."

Before she could stop herself, Renesmee squealed with delight. It was unlike her, not at all a "lady-like" thing to do, but she was too excited from imagining what lay ahead of her to care. _Finally_ she would get a chance to try something new, and with _people_. She owed a lot to her Uncle and Aunt.

It was the longest car ride she had ever been in, and it seemed even longer with how excited she was about their destination.

* * *

**Chapter Five: **

**~M**

**On this day, we meet!**

**My name is Nanoha!**

* * *

In Arshaka's room of the Westin Seattle, Lelu, Meryl, Aaron and Arshaka himself were holding a meeting to work out their plan for the day.

The three disciples sat in a row, while Arshaka stood facing them. "All right," he said, "thanks to Meryl and Lelu, we know that two members of the Cullen family are going to bring the target dhampir to the convention today for a day of fun and frivolity." He paused and smirked at the disciples. "Let's make things a little more serious, shall we?"

"Meryl and I are going to approach them, acting like perfectly safe and disarming Weaboos, and see if we can get in contact with them," said Lelu.

"If we're lucky we might be able to learn something from them," said Meryl. She paused and shrugged. "Worst comes to worst, we can at least get to know their character a little better."

Aaron growled and shook his head. "So the girls go do the dirty work, Arshaka runs mission control, and I do nothing. Par for the course around here."

Meryl laughed softly and patted Aaron on the shoulder. "Don't worry big guy. You'll come in handy once we finally start fighting the vampires."

"Still, I hate waiting," Aaron griped as he fell backwards onto one of the beds.

"So if they don't mind us hanging around with them, how long should we stay with the vamps?" asked Lelu.

"As long as you can without arousing suspicion," said Arshaka.

Meryl cried out and balled her hands in front of her. "Yes! That means we have an excuse to hang out at the convention!"

Lelu sighed and thumped Meryl on the back on the head. "Don't worry, sir, I'll make sure she stays focused."

* * *

Renesmee's face might as well have been glued to her window from the moment they entered the Seattle city limits. Naturally, she had seen _pictures_ of skyscrapers and the Space Needle, but witnessing them in reality was an experience on a whole different scale. This was an entirely different world from what she was used to, a forest of a whole new kind. It was a forest of metal and concrete, a testament to mankind's brilliance.

"Wow, humans are so amazing!" Renesmee gasped. "I wonder if vampires could have learned to make such tall buildings?"

Emmett chuckled, but said nothing. "Probably not on their own. That's the thing about us; we're focused on the now. Comes with the territory of living forever, you stop caring much about the future. Living like that doesn't exactly lead to the most productive or creative of lifestyles," said Rosalie.

Renesmee turned to glance at her aunt, and saw her staring long and wistfully out of her window.

"Is that why you and Uncle Emmett try to keep in touch with modern things?" asked Renesmee.

"That's part of it," said Emmett. "The same old stuff gets boring after decades of doing it. Too bad your dad hasn't caught on to that yet."

Renesmee winced and looked down at her lap. Facing her mother and father at the end of the day wasn't something she was looking forward to.

After a few minutes of driving and navigating the streets of Seattle they arrived at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center. According to Rosalie it was the place where the convention was being held. The Convention and Trade Center was an enormous building, seemingly built more from glass than metal. Renesmee gawked at it while Emmett circled around looking for a place to park. After finally finding a parking garage to store the jeep, they began walking towards the convention hall.

A few minutes later, Meryl appeared from around a corner and ran towards the Cullens. Rosalie and Emmett stared wryly at Meryl as she hurried towards them. When she finally caught up with them she doubled over and began gasping for breath. "Hang – hang on a moment, _kudasai_."

Emmett and Rosalie glanced at each other as Meryl made a show of catching her breath. Renesmee's eyes were wide with wonder as she took in every detail of Meryl's outfit. She had never actually seen and ordinary person wearing a costume that looked like it belonged to a movie actor. In particular, Renesmee's eyes lingered over a replica of Nanoha's staff, Raising Heart, that Meryl held loosely in her right hand.

Eventually, Meryl straightened up and smiled brightly. "_Kon'nichiwa_!" she said with a wave.

"Hah, coney-chee-wah to you too!" said Emmett. Meryl stared at him in shock for a second, before she broke out giggling.

Rosalie shut her eyes and said nothing as she took a moment to collect her patience. "_Kon'nichiwa_," she eventually said.

Meryl clapped her hands and beamed at Rosalie. "_Sugoi_!"

Rosalie raised her chin slightly and smiled in self-approval. "_Arigatou._"

"You know this funny talk?" asked Emmett.

"I've taken Japanese, Emmett," said Rosalie.

Meryl cleared her throat, getting Emmett and Rosalie's attention. "Anyways, my _baka_ gf Feito-chan got lost and she's got my cell phone." She growled and stamped her foot on the ground. "_Baka_, Feito. Can I borrow your cell phone, _Onegaishimasu_?" She turned and smiled at Emmett. "That means please."

"Sure, just be careful with it," Emmett said as he handed his over to Meryl.

"_Arigatou gozaimasu_!" Meryl said as she took the phone and dialed in a number. After a number of rings, the phone on the other line picked up. "_Baka-Feito-chan_, where are you? You've got our tickets!"

The vampire couple could clearly hear the voice on the other end, "_Ehh, Nano-chan? You're the one who's lost! We said we would meet up in the food courts! Hang on, I'll come look for you_."

"I said no such thing, and it's not even lunch time yet!" cried Meryl.

_"What, are you dieting? Your breasts will get even smaller, Nano-chan!"_

Emmett snickered to himself. Meryl turned and shot him a brief glare before turning her attention back to her call. "Shut up! Just tell me where you are!"

Lelu dithered for a moment on the other line. _"Well the street over there is Pike, and I think I'm on Eighth... Hang on a moment while I get my bearings."_

Meryl slowly pulled the cell phone away from her ear, her lower lip trembling, and took a few deliberate steps around the corner. On the other side, just a few feet away from where Meryl and the Cullens had been, was Lelu. She was looking around vaguely at the streets signs and mumbling into the cell phone.

"Okay, I think I know where I am now," she said. Meryl tapped her on the shoulder. Lelu turned and gaped at Meryl. "Oh wow, I am good at finding people. Don't know how I managed it," she mused.

Meryl pouted and rounded on the Cullens. "Did you guys hear her while I was on the phone with her?" she asked.

Emmett crossed his arms and smirked down at her. "Yeah, but I was having too much fun watching to stop you." Meryl stuck her tongue out at Emmett before turning her attention back on Lelu.

Lelu wore a blond wig to match Meryl's brown, and the costume she chose to wear was very nearly a black and white version of Meryl's white and blue, save that she had added a white cape slung over her shoulders. Just as she had with Meryl, Renesmee stopped to stare at Lelu and her costume.

Meryl handed back Emmett's cell phone with an eager thank you in Japanese. "This is my gf. For today, she's known as Feito-chan."

Emmett laughed and kissed Lelu's hand. "Nice name, what does it mean?"

Rosalie groaned and closed her eyes again. "It's "fate" but in bad English."

Lelu eagerly pointed to Rosalie. "Yup! What she said!"

"Those are really cool outfits," Renesmee said nervously. The shock that had kept her silent up to that point was finally starting to give way.

Meryl knelt down and smiled at Renesmee. "I'm the Mahou Shoujo Nanoha Takamachi, and this is my Device Reijingu Hato!" She laughed and brandished her "device" for emphasis. "That's Raising Heart in proper English, and Mahou Shoujo just means Magical Girl."

"I'm Fate Testarossa, and this is my Bardiche," Lelu added.

"You're a cute little girl, what's your name?" asked Meryl.

Renesmee smiled back. "Renesmee."

"Oh... That's a pretty name but it's kinda hard to remember," Meryl said slowly. After a short pause, she gasped and smiled at Renesmee again "How about Reni?"

Lelu tapped Meryl on the back of the head with Bardiche. "That's a boy's name, _baka_." Meryl stuck her tongue out at Lelu.

Renesmee laughed. "Just call me Nessie; most people do."

Meryl nodded and stood up. "Well, thanks for the help, I hope you guys have a fun time!"

"Hey, don't be rude Nano-chan, we owe these people since you lost your cell phone like a dummy," said Lelu. She turned to the Cullens. "If you like Nano-chan and I can show you around. We can help point out all the fun stuff here."

Rosalie crossed her arms and nodded slowly. "Well, none of us have ever been to one of these conventions before..."

Meryl jumped in place and nodded exuberantly. "Feito-chan and I will be your tour guides!"

"So, I'm Emmett and this is my hot wife Rosalie," Emmett said amidst brief laughter from Meryl and Lelu, "and Renesmee here is our niece."

"We're Fate and Nanoha, nice to meet you!" said Lelu.

* * *

Jacob finally gave up on his hunt for Renesmee and returned to report her abduction at the hands of Emmett and Rosalie,. He had barely begun explaining the simple version of events when Edward and Bella interrupted with what could gently be called an uproar.

"WHAT? EGADS, MY POOR DEFENSELESS DAUGHTER WAS ABDUCTED BY THAT BRUTE! SO HELP ME, EMMETT WILL NOT HEAR THE END OF THIS!" cried Edward.

"Please stop shouting, Edward!" Esme called out from another room.

"Yes, Esme," said Edward.

"I can't believe Emmett could have done something like this," snapped Bella.

Alice watched the tumult from a recliner on the side of the room. She rolled her eyes and glanced at Bella. "I seriously doubt that Rosalie didn't have a part in this." She looked briefly down at her DS. "You bet I'm better than you. I speak proper English too, Mama."

"I can't believe Rosalie's got you indulging in that senseless waste of time, Alice," said Bella.

"Actually this Cooking Mama thing is kinda fun," said Alice.

Bella gave an exaggerated sigh. "Well either way, he's ruined all of my plans for the day."

"Plans! Crap!" cried Jacob.

Edward rounded on Jacob, a snarl ripping through his throat. "Do you know anything Jacob!? Speak!"

"Edward, what did I tell you about shouting?"

"Sorry, Esme."

"I told Nessie that I was gonna try to convince you guys to let her go out to Seattle one of these days. Just for fun, you know?" Jacob said slowly. He winced as the silence dragged out.

Eventually, Bella began to laugh. "Jacob, that's silly. What can she possibly do there that she can't do here at home, with us?"

Jacob fell silent as he began to think. "I dunno. See new things, meet ordinary humans?"

Bella sighed and planted her hands on her hips. "Most humans are boring, Jake."

"That doesn't matter! My god, my poor defenseless daughter is in an unknown city with Emmett and Rosalie! She could be in pain right now!" cried Edward.

Esme peered into the room and smiled at Edward. "Why not take this outside, dear?"

Edward sighed and nodded towards the door. "Let's just go get her. Come on, Alice, we might need you."

Alice shrugged and got off the chair without taking her eyes off her DS. "Whatever. Jasper, you're driving, honey."

"Wait, if you're all going out then I'm coming along too," said Esme.

Bella glanced curiously at Esme. "Why?"

"I have to make sure that your father doesn't embarrass Renesmee when he finds her," Esme said matter-of-factly.

Edward and Bella eagerly ran for one of their many vehicles. They were followed by Jacob, who matched their exuberance. Esme was the last to join them in the first car. Alice and Jasper brought up the rear, both acting as if they were being dragged along for the ride. The family set off in pursuit of Renesmee and her wayward aunt and uncle.

* * *

"So who are two dressed up as?" asked one of the first otaku that the group ran into. He was wearing an aged-looking black suit, a billowing blood-red longcoat over that, a matching wide-brimmed hat, and bright orange sunglasses. He was paying close attention to Rosalie and Emmett. "You've gotta be somebody to be wearing that much pale makeup."

Rosalie and Emmett exchanged glances. "We're vampires," said Emmett.

The Otaku paused for a moment in disbelief before breaking out in raucous laughter. "You've gotta be kidding me! No fangs, pale face makup and orange contacts? That's the worst vampire costume I've ever seen!"

Rosalie strode forward and seized the man by his hair and neck, knocking off his hat and glasses. She yanked his head up and forced him to stare directly into her eyes.

"Do you want to test me, little boy?" she said softly. The man squirmed but couldn't break free. Rosalie's lips parted and she breathed deliberately upon his neck.

Renesmee giggled at the sight. "Isn't Aunt Rose cool, Nanoha?" Silence. "Nanoha?" she repeated, looking over at Meryl. To her surprise, Meryl was staring at Rosalie with a determined expression. Every muscle in her body seemed tense, as if coiled to strike at any given moment. Utterly confused, she turned to ask Lelu what was wrong, only to find Lelu looking just as fiercely upon the scene. Neither girl had noticed her gaze, and Emmett was too busy watching his wife in amusement to see them.

"Let me go, lady, I take it back! You're great vampires, just let me go!" the otaku screamed.

Rosalie chuckled and let him go. "Good! Glad to hear we meet your approval!" she said. He seemed disgruntled until Rosalie slipped him a bill to keep him quiet before he scurried off. At Renesmee's sides, Meryl and Lelu both sighed with relief and relaxed. She glanced at the two, unsure whether to ask what had upset them so much about Rosalie's performance.

Meryl suddenly burst out in laughter, stepped forward, and patted Rosalie on the shoulder. "_Sugoi_, Rosalie-san! You out-vampired the great Alucard! If we find Sir Integra, we should try to get you a job working for Hellsing!"

"I don't understand what you just said, but it sounds like you're impressed. That's good enough for me," said Rosalie.

"Your wife must be quite a handful, Emmett-san!" said Lelu.

Emmett grinned and wrapped an arm around Rosalie's shoulders. "Yeah, but that's what makes her great in bed."

Meryl and Lelu burst into brief laughter. Renesmee tried to keep an eye on Lelu and Meryl as they wandered through the convention, but they showed no more signs of strange behavior. Their reaction slipped Renesmee's mind soon after that as she was swept away by the hundreds of different things to look at. There were people in costumes, racks and racks of merchandise, advertisement displays, and posters of all the colorful characters and settings. A whole new world than what she was used to was spread out before her eyes. Meryl eagerly pointed out various manga or anime of her own personal taste. Rosalie never hesitated to purchase anything if Renesmee showed even the slightest interest.

After a time, Emmett began to thumb through some of the merchandise himself. "These look like cartoons, but I guess there's more to it than that," he muttered to himself.

Rosalie glanced over Emmett's shoulder at what he was reading and frowned. "Are all these books marketed towards men? These women have impossible figures."

"Oh believe me, there're men in anime who could give Emmett's muscles a run for their money," Lelu said with a laugh.

"Don't worry, Rose, you'll always be hotter than any of them," said Emmett. Rosalie nodded approvingly and kissed him on the cheek.

"Normally I'd have to make sure all of these were appropriate for you," said Rosalie with a glance towards their young charge, "but I know I can trust you." She ruffled Renesmee's hair and smiled down at her. "We'll just have to hide the worst of the lot from your parents."

"Thanks, Aunt Rose," Renesmee said. At least she would have something new to read, provided they could find a way to sneak it past her parents.

"Hey, Feito-chan, let's find a Hayate costume for Renesmee!" Meryl suddenly shouted.

"I'm not sure if they'll be selling costumes from StrikerS so soon after it just came out, Nano-chan," said Lelu.

"No duh," Meryl drawled, "we'll get her Hayate's outfit from A's. It would suit her better anyways."

"Wait, they sell outfits here, too?" asked Rosalie.

"Sure, we'll lead you to them!" said Meryl.

Navigating the crowds wasn't easy, but the costume vendors weren't hard to find once the group came closer to them. Just as with the rest of the convention hall, there was a wide variety of merchandise on sale. Rosalie grinned mischievously and showed a low-cut maid's outfit to Emmett. "Can I get you anything, my master?"

"I'd love some milk," Emmett said as he bent in to kiss his wife.

Lelu knelt down next to Renesmee. "You'll know what he meant when you're older," she said with a wink.

Renesmee laughed and grinned knowingly. "Oh, that's fine, I know all about that." She got another laugh out of Lelu's wide-eyed shock.

After buying a number of cute costumes for Renesmee and for Rosalie – her's, of course, were cute in a very different way - the group began to look at the different costumed guests. Meryl and Lelu even managed to find a number of people dressed up as other characters from their fandom and posed for photos with them.

After a time they paused to grab some food before continuing on. Eating was already a new experience for Renesmee, but eating some of the exotic foods on sale was even more so. Rosalie and Emmett excused themselves by claiming to be full already, but Renesmee could swear that Meryl and Lelu exchanged a glance and a nod when the vampires announced their intention not to eat. Rosalie and Emmett offered to pay for the huntresses' meals, and Meryl and Lelu obliged by indulging in a very large lunch.

The next activity that Meryl suggested was watching some of the anime that was being displayed in various side rooms of the convention hall. In his enthusiasm, Emmett kept ducking into different rooms each time a given series finished an episode, so they wound up seeing several different shows that day without really learning the plots of any of them.

After passing by one room, Meryl stopped and laughed. "Hey, you guys will like this one." She paused and glanced at Renesmee. "Actually, I'm not sure if it would be appropriate for the little lady."

Rosalie scoffed and pushed past Meryl. "Don't underestimate my favorite niece," she said. Meryl shrugged and followed her in, the rest of the group coming in after her. This time the anime on display featured a very familiar-looking character.

"Hey, he looks like that guy we saw on the way in!" said Emmett. He nudged Rosalie. "The kid that practically wet himself thanks to you, Rose."

"Yes, this series is called Hellsing," said Lelu. "That's the... not-hero. His name is Alucard, he's a vampire and a total badass, but he's also kind of a douche. I prefer his partner Seras. She's pretty awesome herself, and she's nice, and she has an amazing rack."

Emmett grinned as he watched Alucard in the midst of slaughtering a number of undead creatures. "Hell yeah, that kid didn't do him justice!" he cried while laughing. "I gotta show this one to Wardo, so he can see what a real-"

Rosalie grabbed Emmett firmly by the wrist. He gave her a curious look, and she nodded over to Renesmee. The girl was standing frozen on the spot, quivering and staring into the massive screen in front of her with her eyes wide. Rosalie grabbed her gently by the shoulders and steered her out of the room without a word.

Meryl saw Renesmee's reaction and frowned at Emmett "I'm sorry, I really shouldn't have suggested this."

Emmett shook his head and gave Meryl a weak smile. "No, it's cool. Nessie can take a lot of things, but she doesn't like seeing people dying bloodily like this. I guess whether or not they're zombies doesn't make any difference." He joined his wife outside the room, leaving Meryl and Lelu alone.

"She doesn't like the sight of human blood, huh?" mused Lelu.

"I think there might be hope for this girl," said Meryl.

The disciples nodded and joined the Cullens outside the viewing room.

* * *

Meanwhile, the "hunt" was being carried out in earnest. After arriving in Seattle, Bella, Edward and Jacob spent a few fruitless minutes attempting to pick up Renesmee's trail. When that proved to be a failure they grilled Alice to use her gift to find Renesmee instead. Eventually Alice admitted her part in covering up Rosalie's plan to spirit Renesmee away. One promise of a stern talking-to courtesy of Edward and a short drive later, the vampires arrived at the convention.

Upon entering the hall and catching sight of all the different people and their costumes, Alice squealed in shocked delight. "Oh WOW, look at them all! This place is amazing!" Before anyone could stop her she pranced off and immediately began accosting the various cosplayers for design tips.

Bella watched Alice for a brief time and sighed. "Well, we lost Alice," she paused to shake her head. "And our Renesmee is somewhere in this mass of troublemakers! Look at them, every one of them is _weird_. They're gonna give Nessie bad ideas!"

"I think you're giving Nessie too little credit," said Jacob. "She's not like an ordinary-"

"My god!" Edward shouted. "These people will taint Renesmee!"

"Edward, you're attracting-"

"Not now, Jasper, I'm distressed!"

"-attention."

"Please stop shouting, Edward."

"Yes, Esme."

A lot of the guests were indeed beginning to stare, or mutter rude things about Edward. They were all beginning to give the Cullen family a wide berth.

Bella cared little for their opinions and scoffed at their disapproval. An idea came to her, and she turned to face Edward. "Edward, just read their minds and figure out where Nessie is."

"I can't," he mumbled slowly.

Jasper narrowed his eyes at Edward. "What do you mean, 'you can't?'"

"It's like every single person here has Bella's shield," said Edward.

"That's impossible I – I," Bella paused, her face falling as well, "I can't feel my shield at all."

Jasper stared at them grimly. "I can't feel their emotions either. What's going on? Is something about this place disabling our powers?"

"This is strange, I don't recall anything like this happening before," said Esme.

Jacob looked around carefully, as if expecting to see the answer somewhere before him. "I don't feel any different. I wonder if it's just vampires that were affected."

Bella shivered. Being without her shield left her feeling almost naked. It almost surprised her how much she had come to rely on it. Her mind was open to others, open and vulnerable.

"Let's just start looking," said Jasper. Jacob and the other three vampires numbly agreed and set out through the crowds.

Only a few rooms away, Renesmee and Emmett were locked in a fierce confrontation. Concentration was etched on their faces and Renesmee's hands were soaked in sweat. Meryl and Lelu were silently cheering on Renesmee while Rosalie rooted for her husband. As the seconds passed, the tension became more and more unbearable!

And then Link let loose with a mighty sword slash, sending Captain Falcon flying off of the arena.

"No!" cried Emmett. He hung his head in shame and glared out of the corner of his eye at Renesmee. "That's it. Rematch, right now."

"Emmett, give it a rest, Nessie's clearly a natural at this game," sighed Rosalie. "She's got you beat seven to three."

"Best out of thirteen!"

"That _is_ best out of thirteen!" said Meryl.

"Fifteen," Emmett said without pause.

Rosalie walked forward and seized the gamecube controller out of Emmett's hands, earning her a scandalized look. "That's enough Emmett. You've lost, officially."

"I will have my revenge, Renesmee!" cried Emmett.

After Renesmee's brief episode, the group had spent the next hour or two trying to keep her distracted. At Meryl's suggestion they headed over to the video game area and began playing a few rounds. The suggestion seemed to have had the desired effect; Renesmee was soon laughing cheerfully again.

The next game she laid eyes on made Renesmee laugh. "Aunt Rose, Uncle Emmett, come look at this game! It's called Guitar Hero, sounds like it would make Dad blow a fuse, right?"

Emmett eyes the game and broke out in raucous laughter. "Yeah, he hates this kind of music. Anything newer than the fifties is 'uncouth', according to him."

"Give it a try, Nessie," said Rosalie, "let's hear your singing voice." She smiled down at her niece and gently prodded her forward.

Renesmee, feeling very self-conscious, walked slowly towards the console, fully aware that the others were staring at her. To ease her nerves she stalled for time by searching the various albums slowly and carefully. Eventually she settled for a band named Kiss, one that she had never even heard of before. Though she wasn't sure what sort of music they played, she could guess from the picture of the singers that it wasn't anything her parents would approve of. She took the guitar-shaped control in hand and prepared herself.

"RENESMEE CARLIE CULLEN, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"No way," she moaned.

All present turned and saw Edward walking into the room. Bella, Jacob and Esme were at his side. Jasper was a ways away, as if trying not to be grouped alongside them. Jacob immediately walked over to Renesmee's side and fussed over her. Edward, however, walked towards Emmett. "Emmett, I am very disappointed! You dragged my poor daughter into this den of debauchery and probably scarred her for life!"

"I had fun, Dad!"

"See, she doesn't even realize how wounded she is!"

"Edward, please stop yelling," said Esme. Edward didn't acknowledge her, he was so wound up.

"Are you really okay, Nessie?" asked Jacob.

Renesmee turned and gazed up at him pleadingly. "Yes, Jacob, I had a great time, why doesn't anybody get that?"

Jacob breathed a sigh of relief and stood up. "Well I'm not happy that you just ran off without asking, but if you had a good time and aren't hurt-"

"It's not that simple, Jacob!" bellowed Edward. "We must consider the future ramificiations!"

"Oh lay off, Edward," Rosalie snapped as she stepped in front of Renesmee. "She needs to have more of a life than just staying at home all day with us and reading that lyrical crap you force on her."

Bella walked up to Rosalie and stood face-to-face with her. Jacob took a step closer towards Renesmee, as if sensing an impening fight. "Enough, Rosalie, you're not her mother, you don't know anything about raising children," said Bella.

"_Excuse me?_" snarled Rosalie. Her eyes were narrowed to almost dangerous points and lips were partially curled up over her teeth. "When did you _ever_ raise her?"

Just as Bella opened her mouth to speak again, Meryl leaped in between her and Rosalie and waved. "Hiiii, _Kon'nichiwa_, my name is Nanoha, you must be this girl's-"

"Speak English, young lady, you're not Japanese!" cried Edward. "And take off that silly skirt and wear a proper-length dress!"

"You're just jealous of my Raising Heart and my miniskirt!" cried Meryl.

"You've been fraternizing with my daughter all day?" Edward snarled as he rounded on Meryl. "I know for a fact that someone like you isn't an appropriate friend for her."

Meryl glared down at Edward. "I'll bet you're wondering if I've got anything on underneath my skirt, don't you? Do you want to see? _Well I won't let you_! How does that feel?"

"Nobody wants to see your undergarments!" bellowed Edward.

"I do!" Lelu cried while raising her hand eagerly.

"Young lady, you should be careful about what you say," Esme said reprovingly. "People will think there's something," she paused and made a face, "wrong with you if you talk like that."

"They can stop wondering: I'm bisexual," Lelu said casually.

"You shouldn't say things like that! People will judge you!" cried Esme.

Meryl made a sound of disgust and walked towards Esme and Lelu. "Judge this." Meryl seized Lelu and jammed her lips onto the Black Disciple's, earning a few gasps and cheers from the convention-goers. Lelu's eyes immediately snapped wide open and her face turned deep red. Esme backed away with her hands over her mouth, as if she was likely to burst into tears at any moment. Meryl quickly broke off the kiss out of sheer surprise with herself.

"Woah Meryl, I didn't know you swung that way!" gasped Lelu. Renesmee frowned and took a moment to realize that "Nanoha" naturally couldn't have been Meryl's real name.

"I didn't either," Meryl said numbly. She idly rubbed her fingers over her lips. The kiss had been an unusual but not unwelcome experience for her.

Bella gaped at the pair, as if something was deeply wrong with them. "My god, you were letting Renesmee interact with such lewd girls all day!? What's wrong with you two!?"

"Yeah, how dare they engage in _same-sex pre-marital kissing_," snapped Rosalie.

Emmett clapped Meryl and Lelu on the backs. "Yeah, nothing wrong with a little," he paused and leaned in closer to Lelu, "what did you say the word was again?"

"Yuri," Lelu said quickly.

"Nothing wrong with that, it's awesome!"

"They're deviants, both of them," sneered Edward.

"Oh it is on!" cried Meryl. "I'm gonna give him a Starlight Breaker, Feito-chan!"

"What are you talking about!? You can't break light!" Edward cried in disbelief.

"Why do you keep _yelling_, man?" asked Lelu.

"He does that when he's distressed," Jasper said from the far corner of the room.

Edward scoffed at Meryl and Lelu, and then turned to glare at Emmett. "These are the kinds of miscreants you've allowed to taint my daughter? Why are all these people in costume? Some of the men are wearings dresses, for goodness sake!"

"It's called crossplay," said Meryl.

"You can't play with a cross, it's disrespectful to religion!" Edward said as he narrowed his eyes at Meryl. "What are these silly comic books you bought? They'll encourage terrible ideas in poor Renesmee! These women need more clothing, why can't they afford to wear proper clothes?

"'Cause it's sexy like that, duh," said Emmett.

"I think I'll start dressing like these girls," said Rosalie.

"Rosalie, be more ladylike!" hissed Bella.

"What, and kneel down to my husband like you do, Bella?" demanded Rosalie. "Tell me: what's your take on all of this? You know better than Wardo about what ordinary people are like."

"I believe that Edward is in the right here!" cried Bella.

"I rest my case," Rosalie said as she folded her arms with a sigh.

Edward rounded on Emmett again. "I've seen the kinds of things they sell here, Emmett! These books will encourage Renesmee to learn unclean thoughts about squid! I saw books about men fornicating with other men, the images were ghastly!"

"Ooooohhhh, someone's got innate Yaoi detection!" Lelu drawled as she smirked at Edward.

Edward turned and snarled at Lelu. "No good father fails to know when his child is injured!"

Lelu rolled her eyes. "I said 'Yaoi', now 'owie'."

"Whatever way you say it makes no difference to me," snapped Edward.

At that moment, a number of the security personnel arrived and surrounded the group. "Sir, you're making a huge disruption and disturbing the other guests. We're going to have to ask you to leave."

Edward glared at the security officers. "Gladly. Come along, Nessie."

Jacob glanced down at Renesmee, jerked his head towards Edward, and took her hand. As Bella beckoned for her daughter, Renesmee hung her head low and walked slowly towards her. Jasper kept his head down as he left the room first and with the fastest steps. Rosalie - Emmett slowly shaking his head at her side - pushed past Bella and Edward, pausing only to shoot both of them the dirtiest look she could. As Bella firmly steered Renesmee out the door, Meryl reached out and seized Edward by the wrist. He wrenched his hand free of her grip, but with some effort.

He turned back, but hesitated at the look she gave him. A shadow had passed over her eyes, making her hard to read, but her previous cheerfulness and permanent smile were gone. Both girls were glaring at him. "You're gonna have to be a lot more careful," Meryl said in a low voice.

"We'll be in touch," Lelu added.

The girls ignored Edward's demands for an explanation, and vanished into the sea of guests.

* * *

But wait, next time there'll be _plot_!


	6. Chapter 6

_**Sunspot**_

_Only a few months have passed since the Cullen's encounter with the Volturi, and Renesmee is growing with each passing day. However, she longs to explore the world and find her own destiny. Meanwhile, forever is looking considerably shorter when the winter incident provokes a mysterious organization lurking in the shadows to step into the light... Rated M for character death. Ye be warned._

Disclaimer: Twilight and its peeps belong to Meyer. Only the OC's belong to me.

Author's Note: Special thanks to my new beta, Aviva Tsuion! Constructive criticism is appreciated! So anyways, I'm sure you guys noticed I missed last week? I decided to hold updated bi-weekly from now on. I've had to change up certain scenes from my chapters and my beta needs time to work, so updating every other week will be a lot easier on us both.

* * *

Adella Allington sat next to a circular white-top table on her personal balcony. She had chosen it for the view, as anyone standing there could easily see the cascade of vivid colors that comprised her garden and the forest that lay beyond it. At that moment, however, Adella was paying little attention to the scenery. Instead she was focused on reading the thick leather-bound book in her lap.

A little over an hour into her reading, the sound of soft knocking at the door to the balcony drew her attention. "Come in," she called.

One of her assistants stepped out onto the balcony, bearing a tray with a kettle and a small white cup on it. "Your tea, my lady."

"Oh, thank you," Adella said with a smile "Please just set it town. I'll make the finishing touches."

Adella's assistant set the tray down carefully. "Lord Aiden wishes to see you, Lady Adella," she said as she stood up and smoothed out the folds of her dress.

Adella hummed and nodded as put several scoops of sugar into her tea. Once she was finished, she took a small sip and smiled in satisfaction. Adella turned to look up at her aide, realizing only then that she had never seen the girl before. From her soft eyes and face and the pale sheen of her blond hair it was easy to tell that the aide was a young woman, probably not even twenty years old. She smiled down at Adella, but the slight tremble of her lips betrayed her nervousness.

"What is your name, girl?" asked Adella.

The assistant uttered a small gasp and bowed low. "My name is Renate. Renate Rector."

"Renate," Adella paused and looked upwards, "I believe it means rebirth, yes?"

"Mhm," hummed Renate.

"Then it is a nice name," said Adella.

"Thank you for your kind words, My Lady!" said Renate.

"You can let Aiden know that he's welcome to see me," Adella said as she turned her attention back on her book.

Renate bowed once again and excused herself. Aiden took her place on the balcony seconds later and leaned against the railings, glowering down at Adella.

"I suppose you want me to let you loose upon the vampires," Adella mused without looking up from her book.

"The investigation has been a waste of time," snapped Aiden. "We haven't learned anything about the Cullens that we didn't already know about them."

"I disagree," said Adella.

Aiden groaned and rolled his eyes. "Adella, we already knew the kid was a dhampir. We have dossiers on their whole family, remember? It's obvious that her existence is what riled up the Volturi."

"I didn't send those four to Washington only to discover that," said Adella. "Thanks to Meryl and Lelu's work, we know about all of the individual family members."

Aiden simply looked away and slammed his first lightly on the balcony railing. "We should get moving with our next step."

Adella's brows inched together. "What is our next step, Aiden?"

"Roast the Olympians down to their last sparkling scrap."

Adella closed her book slowly, rested it upon her lap, and cupped her hands over it. With that done, she took a breath and smiled up at Aiden. "However will they provoke the Volturi if they're dead?"

"Their deaths will get the Volturi to look into the situation and figure out who killed them," said Aiden. "We'll pick them off from the shadows once they've begun to move from Volterra."

"No, we must lure the entire Volturi organization into the open and destroy them all at once," said Adella. "We're going to recreate the incident from last year, except this time the vampires won't walk away without a fight."

Aiden jerked his head to the side with a sound of disgust. "How do you plan on accomplishing that?"

Adella lowered her chin, casting a shadow over her eyes. "That's where you come in, my Volcanic Crow," she said quietly. "I've decided to kidnap the dhampir. I believe that if we take her from her family, they'll stir themselves into a frenzy. They will provoke the Volturi for us."

Aiden turned and grinned at Adella. "So I can finally head out to Washington?"

"Yes," said Adella. She looked up into Aiden's eyes. "Fan your flames of terror, Aiden. Show the vampires despair like they've never known before."

Aiden chuckled darkly and immediately began walking back inside. "Done."

Adella reopened her book, but for a time she merely stared blankly at the same page.

* * *

**Chapter Six: **

**~M**

**The gathering of the Twelve!**

**Our target: Renesmee!**

* * *

Under a starlit sky, three figures walked quickly and quietly across the uneven forest paths. They were Chelsea, Demetri and Afton, messengers of the Volturi. Demetri took the lead with purposeful strides. Chelsea scanned the ground as she walked, there she saw the occasional human corpse, some relatively unharmed, others brutally wounded, on the forest floor. Police tape was stretched here and there, between trees

She stopped. Even for a vampire, the sight was eerie – the way the bodies were just left casually on the ground or hanging from trees, without any sign of their killer cleaning up after themselves. Not to mention, it was annoying. So many deaths happening in one place was the clear mark of an inexperienced vampire, allowed to roam free and slaughter to their heart's content. It wasn't the deaths that concerned her, but their obviousness and the danger that they posed for the secrecy, and therefore safety, of her race.

"Damn, how many people has she killed? It's a miracle she hasn't been revealed."

"It's not all her work," said Demetri. "Humans come here to die, and then more come to loot the bodies. Accidents happen here all the time."

Something suddenly crunched beneath Chelsea's foot, giving her a start. She looked down slowly, until her eyes fell upon a crushed human skull. Before she even realized it, she began shuddering, and took a few hurried steps away. She had killed many humans, but she had never seen one's skeleton. So this was what death looked like. She looked around, and her eyes fell upon more human bodies. Among them, a very fresh kill dangled by the neck from a tree branch. It was a young man, not even fully-grown, but dead all the same. The look of horror in his eyes betrayed the illusion - this was no suicide. Chelsea quickly turned away from the sight.

Having heard what Chelsea did, Demetri stopped walking for a moment. "Of course, that's not to say she doesn't kill the occasional tourist and hang them from a tree." He glanced at Chelsea before he resumed moving.

"How dangerous is this woman?" asked Afton.

Chelsea touched Afton lightly on the shoulder, but kept her eyes on Demetri. "Aro sent us here to find her for a reason, right?"

"Oh, she has a power, alright," said Demetri. "I encountered her decades ago, and Eleazar told me that she has control over gravity. At the time she let us go, but she warned us that if we ever step into her forest again it would be at our own risk."

Afton narrowed his eyes at Demetri's back. Who dared threaten the Volturi? "Reckless and foolish, isn't she?"

"She just prefers her solitude," said Demetri. "She cleans up after herself, and has managed to elude detection for centuries. She also rarely leaves this forest. Aro thought that it would be best to just leave her be until we had need of her."

"And now we do," said Chelsea. She wished they didn't. She kneaded her brow, frustrated with her own weakness. She wasn't some human to flee in terror of a vampire, even a dangerous one with no fear of the volturi. Liar. "What's her name?" she asked, mostly to distract herself from her own thoughts.

Demetri glanced over his shoulder at Chelsea. "She never gave it. The codename we gave for her was 'Ichijii'. It means something akin to 'One G' in her tongue." They continued moving for a brief time, until Demetri suddenly stopped once again. "She's just ahead. She probably already knows we're here," he added in a whisper.

Chelsea knelt low and stared ahead, trying to catch even the slightest sign of 'Ichijii.' She was breathing quickly, a pure reflex reaction from her days as a human. It hadn't been long enough that her body forgot what adrenaline felt like. She could hear every breath she took. "This forest is too quiet."

Demetri gave a quiet, humorless laugh. "Local legends used to say this forest was infested with demons, and that the trees feed on blood."

"An appropriate place for a vampire to dwell," muttered Afton. "With all the shade from these trees she wouldn't need to hide during the day."

"I'm not sure if dwell is the right word," said Chelsea. "From what Demetri's told us, haunt might be more appropriate."

The three moved ahead more slowly. Chelsea kept her eyes fixed on Demetri's back and tried to ignore the bodies. Some of the humans looked like their last moments had been peaceful, but others showed all the signs of a brutal and unkind end. Some were found dashed upon rocks, others with knife wounds still fresh in their bodies. She couldn't ignore the bloodstains splashed on the bushes, on the trees. Every rare sound seemed to her like footsteps creeping up behind them, causing her to frequently check over her shoulder. Afton's expression was tightly impassive, but the occasional twitch gave his own nervousness away.

And then the three volturi guardsmen were suddenly and inexorable slammed against the soil. Chelsea thrashed about like an animal, determined to get up, but she only succeeded in pushing herself further into the dirt. At her side, Afton was reacting likewise, but Demetri simply laid motionless. Chelsea heard footsteps approaching from ahead, and knew that this time it wasn't her mind playing tricks upon her. She looked up, and finally laid eyes on her quarry.

Ichijii's hair fell to her waist, and its black color perfectly contrasted her white face, clothing and hands. Her full red lips, soft red eyes, and graceful poise lent her an otherworldly beauty. This too was one half of a contrasting whole; her kimono was stained with dirt from her waist down and blood from her waist up.

Ichijii laughed softly and looked up to the sky. "The humans call this sea of trees haunted – a place of death." She laughed again and turned her gaze down towards her victims. "For some reason, humans enjoy coming here to die. It seems that even vampires are drawn to their deaths here."

Trapped and helpless, Chelsea trembled. Ichijii was just as bad as Demetri described – a vampire who knew no fear of the volturi. Chelsea could see the cold joy in Ichijii's eyes. She could almost feel how little it would mean to Ichijii if she slaughtered them all. And she could do it easily.

"Hello Demetri, it's been an eternity," Ichijii said with a smile. "Did my last warning slip your mind, my dear?"

"I come on behalf of the Volturi to collect you," said Demetri. Despite herself, Chelsea looked on Demetri with increasing pride. He must have been just as frightened as Chelsea and Afton, but he was at least outwardly keeping calm. His tone was level, betraying none of what the terror that was surely swelling inside of him.

"I'm not interested," said Ichijii. Her expression changed and her smile turned into a vicious snarl. She lifted her left arm and extended it towards her visitors. Chelsea cringed, expecting Ichijii to carry out their execution at any moment. "I warned you, dear. _Aokigahara_ is a forest of death."

She lifted her right hand, and an entire tree was ripped from the ground and floated in the air. Roots were wrenched free from the soil and gave way as easily as a weed being pulled from a flower bed. Ichijii clenched her hand, and a strange cloud of darkness suddenly engulfed the tree. For several seconds it remained, making it impossible to see what was happening, until Ichijii opened her hand once more. The tree was gone, not a single sign of it remained. "I don't need fire to kill a vampire. Not when I can simply crush you down to the smallest of particles-" A shadow passed over her eyes. "What are you doing to my mind?" she demanded as she shook her head.

"Join us – y-you could be great," said Chelsea. Unlike Demetri, she couldn't keep herself calm. It was all she could do to squeak her words. She struggled to master her fear so that she could work her gift on Ichijii – it was their only hope for survival. It was galling to think that the volturi's guards had been rendered helpless so easily...

Ichijii snarled again and narrowed her eyes. Just as she was about to deliver the final blow, her world was consumed by darkness. It was like being cut off from the world; sight, smell, hearing and touch were all gone. For the first time in years, fear took root in her mind.

A young man and woman stepped into the clearing, just as the three messengers fell to the ground. Alec and Jane, the Volturi's trump cards. "Thank you for that," Demetri said as he stood and nodded to Alec.

Jane stepped forward and smiled at Ichijii, who immediately began to scream and writhe on the ground. All she could feel was pure pain.

"Chelsea, will your power affect her?" Alec asked, his voice hard.

"She should be ready in a moment," said Chelsea. "By now she should be more receptive."

Alec nodded and touched Jane on the shoulder, earning him a pout. He answered with a shake of his head. Both of the twin's powers lifted at once, and Ichijii glared up at the Volturi's messengers.

"Come along with us. We can offer you much more than this forest," Chelsea said as she knelt down and extended a hand to Ichijii.

Ichijii glared at the hand, and then at Chelsea. Chelsea's power was beginning to take hold, breaking down Ichijii's defiance. She reached out her hand to Chelsea's, hesitating briefly midway before she took it. Chelsea nodded and smiled, lifting Ichijii to her feet. Demetri stepped forward and shook Ichijii's free hand. "Welcome to the Volturi," he said.

"My talents will be at your disposal," Ichijii said as she flashed a vague grin.

* * *

Renesmee glared firmly at her feet as Bella marched her out of the convention hall.

"Are you okay, Nessie?" asked Bella. "It must have been terribly frigh-"

"I _was_ just fine, mom," said Renesmee. It took some effort for her to keep her tone even relatively calm.

Bella's fingers tightened just a little on Renesmee's shoulders. "Now, Nessie, don't get snippy. I know you've had a bad day, but you don't need to show anger over it."

"Had a bad day?" echoed Rosalie. "She had a great day! Probably the best she's had in a long time!"

"Rosalie, as if any normal people could enjoy being here. Please," snapped Bella.

Renesmee turned around as much as she could, and glared up at her mother. "Mom, none of us are normal! These people are normal! They're having fun and cutting loose! Unlike you!"

Bella gave Renesmee what she guessed was supposed to be a piteous look, but it only made Renesmee feel like she was being condescended, which just annoyed her further.

"Renesmee, of course we get to have fun! We have fun all of the time without involving ourselves in these ridiculous things here," said Bella. "You don't see your father or myself or Jasper or Alice indulging in stuff like this, do you?"

Alice chose that moment to bound towards the others, a wide smile on her face and her arms loaded with bags of purchased costumes. "You guys, the outfits here are amazing! Most of these people made them themselves!"

"Alice," Bella said in a low voice. Her efforts to silence Alice were rendered useless by Alice's sheer exuberance.

"I'm definitely gonna try my hand at making outfits like this sometime in the future, it'll be great!" cried Alice. She paused and turned to Renesmee. "Oh, and I picked up some cute little costumes for you for when we get home, Nessie," she added. She knelt down in front of Nessie and smiled brightly to her. Nessie returned the smile feebly.

"Alice-you're-not-helping!" said Bella.

Meanwhile, Edward finally caught up with the others. "Emmett, I'm calling a meeting the minute we get home!" he snapped. He glared at Emmett for a moment before rounding on Renesmee. "Renesmee, what was that foul music you were going to listen to?"

"Hey man, don't dis Rock. It's classic," said Emmett. Edward didn't even turn to look at him.

Renesmee stared back into her Father's unblinking eyes. "What's wrong with it? I like it! Uncle Emmett lets me listen to it!"

"It's vulgar, Nessie. Only Hip Hop is worse," said Bella.

"Now you're insulting Hip Hop too? You two have no taste," said Emmett.

Edward shook his head and lead the way to the exit. "I'll be glad when we've left this place. I don't like being unable to read these people's minds," he muttered, almost to himself.

Renesmee's anger was momentarily forgotten in her surprise. "You power isn't working, Dad?"

"None of ours are," said Bella.

"Seriously? Has that ever happened before?" asked Emmett.

"Later, this isn't the right place," Edward said as he glared at the convention goers. Emmett shook his head in frustration but kept quiet.

Renesmee narrowed her eyes at nothing in particular, deep in thought. Something wasn't right. Her parents' powers, and probably her own as well, weren't working? Memories of Meryl and Lelu's strange reaction to Rosalie's behavior came flooding back. And hadn't Meryl purposefully concealed her own name?

She could feel her stomach writhing. Aside from just being angry at her parents, she was getting a very bad feeling from deep within herself.

* * *

The Cullens were followed by ordinary members of the Third Generation up until they left Seattle. They would be observed once again when they returned home. In the meanwhile, Lelu and Meryl returned to the Westin Seattle to report.

After hearing what they had to say, Arshaka fell silent for a while, as if in deep thought. "The operation at the convention went about as well as we could have hoped, I suppose," he eventually said. Meryl and Lelu shared a satisfied grin.

Arshaka sat back and watched Meryl and Lelu closely. "What did you think of the little girl?" he asked.

"She seems like a pretty sweet girl for a dhampir that's been raised by vampires," said Lelu. "She apparently doesn't like the sight of humans dying, so I don't think she's dangerous."

"I imagine our next move will closely concern the little girl," said Arshaka. "It's likely that the Volturi's actions last year centered on her."

"We've kept the existence of dhampirs mostly secret for centuries. I have to imagine that suddenly being exposed to one would scare the vampires," said Meryl.

"Then there's a good chance she's our key to provoking the Volturi," said Arshaka. "That said, we're going to sit back and wait for our next orders before we make another move."

Meryl cocked an eyebrow at Arshaka. 'Do nothing' wasn't exactly what she had expected her next orders to be. "Lelu and I are not to return to Forks tonight?"

"No. Although you were both smart enough not to give out your names, the Cullens saw your pretty faces," he said, flashing a grin. "If the two of you ran into them again, they would probably get suspicious."

Lelu raised her arms with a whoop of victory. "We don't have to go back to that tiny motel again!" she cried as she fell backwards onto the bad.

Meryl glared briefly at Lelu and tightened her hands in frustration. Do nothing at such an important time? She frowned and squeezed her eyes shut. Why was she so annoyed? For some reason she wanted to do something, but she herself didn't know what. What was it at the convention that had made her feel so edgy?

Aaron's warm hand found its way onto Meryl's shoulder. He gave her a brief squeeze, bringing her back to her senses. She flashed him a short and feeble smile before turning back to look at Arshaka.

"I've taken the liberty of booking a room for the two of you," Arshaka said as he handed a pair of keys to Meryl and Lelu.

Meryl took her key uncertainly. The way Arshaka smirked at her made her feel uneasy for some reason.

"That's all for tonight. Get some rest," he added.

Aaron stood up quickly and left without another word. Lelu and Meryl followed him out, and then turned towards their own room. Moments later, Meryl's apprehension was answered when she saw the inside of the room. She clapped a hand to her forehead. "Arshaka," she muttered under her breath.

"Hey Meryl, look," said Lelu as she pointed to the most obvious feature of the room. "This room has only one big bed in it!"

"I'm going to kill that man," muttered Meryl. She began to deliberately unpack her things while trying to ignore Lelu's eager grin.

* * *

Sue gave a satisfied smile as she finished the last of her dinner. Charlie watched her anxiously, up until she looked up and nodded. "It seems like you can finally make decent spaghetti, Charlie."

Charlie balled up his left fist and gave a self-congratulatory cheer.

"Of course, the way you made it is about as simple as it gets," She added.

Charlie's face fell almost comically and Sue smirked at him.

"Well it's still an improvement, right?" asked Charlie.

Sue's smile softened. "Yes, you can made edible food now, dear."

Charlie smiled and took Sue's hand from across the table. "All thanks to you."

It was a half-joking, half-serious challenge from Sue that prompted Charlie to improve his culinary skills: only once he made a dish that truly and honestly impressed her would she be ready to marry him. Although he doubted that Sue would make it that simple for him, Charlie was determined to succeed nonetheless. This time, he would make things work. It wouldn't end like his first marriage.

Charlie and Sue took their time together into Charlie's living room, where they sat side by side on the couch. The television was on, but neither was really paying attention to it. Both were simply enjoying the other's presence.

"What have Leah and Seth been up to lately?" asked Charlie.

He was fully aware that if things became serious between him and Sue, that her two children would be affected. Bella was already grown up and on her own, but Sue's children, Seth especially, were still dependent on their mother. Charlie couldn't say that he was experienced in having two near-strangers as his step-children, but he did know that he'd do his best to accept them. After all, they _had_ been involved in Sue's life long before he entered it.

"Are they doing okay coping with...," he trailed off, unsure of the right word to say.

"It's okay," Sue said, saving him. "They're strong, or at least Leah's strong and she can share some of that with Seth. They're taking it one day at a time," she said. She looked up at Charlie and smiled. He loved the way she looked when she did. "And I'll be okay, too," she added.

Sue leaned against Charlie, and he wrapped his arms around her. Still, there was something she wasn't telling him. The two children were almost never at their mom's house, as far as he was aware, or at the reservation at all, for that matter. They seemed to have vanished, just as Jacob had last year. And then there was what Renesmee had said...

He couldn't ignore it. "Need to know" had no place in Charlie's life when his granddaughter was potentially in trouble.

"Hey Sue... what's really been going on with all the kids in the reservation?" asked Charlie.

Sue sat up and glanced curiously at him. "What do you mean, Charlie?" she asked.

"Seth and Leah are never home, and neither is Jake, and," Charlie paused. What would Sue think if he told her? Would she think he'd gone mad?

"Did you see something... unusual?" she asked pointedly.

Charlie caught her lead with relief. "Yes. Back last winter, Jacob," he hesitated for a moment as he considered how to describe it, "turned into a huge wolf."

Sue frowned and rubbed her temple. "He wasn't supposed to show that to outsiders," she said.

"You know something," said Charlie.

Sue sighed and looked directly at him. "First, you have to understand that this is a tribal secret. The fact that I'm telling you at all shows that I trust you to be responsible with this, do you understand?"

"Yes. And thank you," said Charlie let out a sigh of relief, but it wasn't over yet.

"You've seen the change Jacob's gone through. Have you seen Bella recently? She looks more like the Cullens than she did last summer, doesn't she?"

Charlie's head dropped just slightly. "Jacob said something... similar to what happened to him had happened to her. That she's changed."

"She's become a vampire," said Sue.

Charlie's head snapped back up. He stared wide-eyed at Sue. "Vampire?" he asked.

Sue took Charlie's hands gently. "Yes. Vampires exist, Charlie, and they're the mortal enemies of my tribe," she said.

"So, y-you're?"

"Werewolves. It's the duty of the men in the Quileute tribe to defend humanity from vampires."

"Then Bella, she - she's killed...?"

"No, no, the Cullens are different. They feed off animal blood," Sue said quickly. Charlie visibly sighed with relief.

"Then what about Renesmee?" asked Charlie.

"She's Bella and Edward's daughter. Bella gave birth to her while she was still human. Renesmee is a half-breed."

Charlie shook his head and looked down at his hands. "Why couldn't they have just been honest with me? That ridiculous story about her being Edward's niece," he trailed off and shook his head again. Something else came to mind, and he looked back up at Sue. "If vampires are your enemies, why do you allow the Cullens to live here?"

"Since they don't feed on human blood, they've formed a pact with our ancestors. They can live here as long as they don't harm even a single human," said Sue.

"That explains why the kids at the reservation don't like them," Charlie mumbled. "So what about Jacob, Seth and Leah?"

"There was a disagreement last fall and they broke off from the main pack," said Sue. "Seth likes the Cullens and Leah doesn't want to leave her brother there alone. As for Jacob, I honestly don't know why he's still there."

Charlie frowned and looked at his lap. Jacob's behavior was strange – he suddenly gave up on Bella a few months back, but still spent most of his time with the Cullens. What sort of disagreement would lead him to abandon his tribe? The cause behind his behavior had to be related to him being a werewolf.

"Is there something in the whole werewolf gig that can," he paused to consider how to phrase his next words, "I dunno, make one of them behave irrationally?" He suspected that the answer to Jacob's behavior and Renesmee's words were somehow linked.

Sue paused for a moment until comprehension seemed to dawn on her. "There is one thing. They call it 'imprinting'. Male wolves fall for a human girl and become completely enamored with her. They say it's almost like soul mates. They become absolutely single-minded in their pursuits of the girl" She looked down bitterly. It was just as well, because all the color drained from Charlie's face and his eyes went almost hollow. "Imprinting broke Leah's heart. Sam was her fiancé when he imprinted on her cousin, just after they had become engaged." Sue spat.

Charlie snapped back to attention. He couldn't trouble Sue with what he had discovered. His next moves would have to be careful.

"So, have you heard enough?" she asked with an ironic grin.

"Yes," Charlie said numbly. He could only hope Sue mistook it for being overwhelmed with information. They spent the rest of their date watching TV silently with each other. Charlie was too busy thinking over what he had learned to really talk much. Before long, he was giving Sue her goodbye kiss and was alone in his house.

Judging from what he had heard and already knew, Jacob had probably 'imprinted' on Renesmee. A part of him was relieved that Jacob wasn't quite willing in his pursuit, but this still made him potentially more dangerous. It also made it clear that the ordinary methods of handling this kind of situation were out. Charlie was already in way over his head dealing with this world of supernaturals.

He was going to have to have a long talk with Bella and Edward the next time he saw them. It didn't matter that they had lied to him and kept things from him, not when Renesmee was in trouble. Not when a werewolf had marked her as his eternal mate...

* * *

Arshaka had volunteered to cover surveillance for the night, giving the Meryl and Lelu a chance to rest from their long day. The majority of their costumes - their wigs and devices included - were haphazardly scattered around the room, leaving the two in just enough clothing to be considered decent. They both laid silently on the single bed.

Meryl flailed her arm towards Lelu. "What are you thinking about?"

"That poor girl being stuck with those stifling vamps," mumbled Lelu. "Not the ones that were with us most of the day, I mean her parents, they seemed lousy."

Meryl glared up at the ceiling. "Yeah, poor thing."

Lelu cocked an eyebrow at Meryl. "You okay?"

Meryl grumbled and rolled over onto her side. "Watching those two keep that girl on such a short leash annoys me. They're both ali... no, never mind."

Lelu likewise rolled over on her side, and slowly wrapped her hands around Meryl's shoulders. "What's wrong?"

Meryl shook her head slowly. "It's nothing," she said thickly.

"Are you thinking about our kiss?" asked Lelu.

Meryl's heart lurched. Before she could stop herself, she touched her lips with her fingertips, her cheeks blazing. "I-it... it was kinda nice," she mumbled.

"I agree," Lelu said suddenly grinned, and her hands darted beneath Meryl's bra.

Meryl immediately gasped and brought her hands protectively over her chest. "LELU!" she shrieked.

"C'mon, Nanoha-chan, let's cuddle and you'll feel better," Lelu purred in her ear. "We can do so much more than just a kiss!"

Meryl growled, seized Lelu's hands tightly by the wrists and forced them away from her chest. She got off of the bed and glared down at Lelu. The Black Disciple sprawled out and smiled up at her. "You know you want this," said Lelu.

Meryl simply tore the sheets off of the bed and twisted it around into a rope. "Lelu, want to see a neat trick I picked up some time ago?"

* * *

At around midnight, a sudden crash caused Leah's ear to twitch. She woke up, feeling very annoyed at the Cullens. Some people around here had to sleep, dammit.

_"Wazzwrong, sis?"_ asked Seth.

_"Nothing. Just the vamps being inconsiderate..."_ She placed her muzzle under her leg and tried to go back to sleep.

Not so far away, Edward marched into the Cullen house. Bella followed behind him and guided Renesmee along with her. The rest of the family brought up the rear, most of them less exuberant than Edward.

"WE'RE HOLDING A FAMILY MEETING, RIGHT THIS MINUTE!" Edward cried the moment he was in the door.

Alice wandered off to find Carlisle, and the Cullen family gathered in the kitchen. Bella - still holding Renesmee close – and Edward were on one side of the room, while Rosalia and Emmett stood on the opposite. Rosalie held the two in a fixed glare her arms folded across her chest. Alice and Jasper stood huddled together roughly midway between them, while Esme and Carlisle hovered near the front of the kitchen table.

"Well, we all know how these meetings work. Esme will moderate, as usual," said Carlisle impatiently.

Emmett chuckled. Was it possible that Edward's meetings were wearing down even Carlisle's patience?

"Okay, children, let's keep this civil," said Esme. She looked around the kitchen, giving each of the Cullens a smile. "I think Renesmee deserves the first chance to speak tonight," she added with a nod to Renesmee, "please tell us, Nessie: did you have fun today? Do you feel you were at all mistreated?"

Renesmee tried to take a step forward, but Bella held her firmly by the shoulders. She frowned but stopped herself from snapping at her mother. "No, I had a lot of fun! It was like nothing I've ever done before!"

"Resesmee, we-"

"Wait your turn, Edward," Esme said quickly. She smiled at Renesmee and thanked her, and then turned to Rosalie and Emmett. "Now, would you two mind explaining why you ran off with Renesmee without telling any of us?"

"Sure, Edward and Bella wouldn't have let us go if they knew what we were up to," said Emmett.

"Emmett, that's not a good answer," Esme said patiently. "They do have a right to decide where Nessie can and cannot go. They are her parents."

"Esme, Edward and Bella are stifling Nessie. She's got to be allowed to try new things every once in a while, and even more than that, she needs to be allowed to meet new people," said Rosalie. She turned to Bella and Edward and forced herself not to glare at them. "I understand that neither of you want anything bad to happen to Nessie, and you both think in your hearts that what you're doing is right, but she has to have some time to herself to be herself."

Esme looked at Renesmee and her parents. "Rosalie does have a point, you two. You can't keep Nessie shut up here forever."

"Of course we won't, but we will decide the when she leaves, and where she goes," said Bella. She glared at Rosalie and Emmett. "They took Renesmee to a strange convention where grown men and women fawned over cartoon characters. That's not the sort of interaction I want for my daughter."

"Alice, Jasper, you went along. Do you think Renesmee would be better off not exposed to what you saw there?" asked Esme.

Alice laughed sheepishly and slouched a little where she stood. "To be honest, I got distracted by all the outfits there. Those people have very eclectic senses of fashion, I'll say that much."

Esme's smile faded a little and she looked to Jasper instead.

Jasper closed his eyes and was silent for a moment. "I agree with Bella and Edward that what went on in that convention hall was somewhat... unusual," he eventually said. "However," he added quickly, "we have to keep in mind that Renesmee isn't exactly an ordinary little girl. I think she's smart enough to know when an influence is a bad one."

"Thank you, uncle Jas-"

"We'll decide that for ourselves," Edward said firmly. "And as for you, Emmett, you need to learn to respect our feelings on this! He never listens to me, Esme!"

"Thank you dear, I think that will be sufficient for this meeting," said Esme.

"BUT I STILL HAVE TO TALK TO HIM ABOUT LISTENING-"

"Remember the rule Edward; one family meeting per three days," Esme said as she left the room.

Edward sighed in defeat and lead the way back to the small cottage. Bella once again guided Renesmee in his wake. Rosalie glared at the sight before retreating back to hers and Emmette's room.

* * *

Meryl watched the Cullens, her expression a determined frown. Lelu, meanwhile, was tied to the bed by its sheets. Her wrists and ankles had been duct taped together, and Meryl had shut her mouth with yet more duct tape. It turned out that having duct tape on hand was usefull.

Lelu was doing a lot of fidgeting and moaning against the bindings, but Meryl couldn't be sure how she was handling her situation. For all Meryl knew she actually enjoyed it. "If you don't stop squirming over there I'm gonna take your bra off and wrap this stuff tight around your boobs next!" she snapped. No change in Lelu's behavior. Maybe she was some kind of weird masochist? Meryl glanced back at her laptop and noticed that somebody had pinged her on her video chat. Her eyes went wide.

Adella Allington was the username.

Meryl gave a strange sort of strangled squeak and quickly put a nightgown on before answering the video chat. The moment the chat connected, Adella smiled and waved at Meryl. "I'm hoping I caught you at a good time? It's not too late over there, is it?"

"N-not at all, Mo-I mean, Miss Allington!" said Meryl.

"You can call me whatever you like, Meryl," said Adella. "I actually think it's sweet that some of you call me 'Mom'."

"Oh, sure thing, mom," said Meryl.

"I was just speaking with Arshaka, and it seems you and Lelu have been very busy this past week. I wanted to thank you personally," said Adella. "By the way, where is Lelu? Arshaka said that she was sharing the room with you."

Meryl could almost feel the blood leaving her face. She glanced nervously over at Lelu. Did she dare let Adella see what had happened?

"Meryl?" asked Adella.

Meryl quickly turned back to Adella and forced a grin. "Uhm, she's in the bath! She said it'll take a while, you know how the French are about their baths."

Adella cocked an eyebrow. "I wasn't aware there were any stereotypes concerning Frenchwomen and bathing," she mused. She narrowed her eyes at something that Meryl couldn't see, as if she were deep in though. "Actually, I think the cliché goes that they don't bathe every day."

An uncomfortable silence followed. Lelu had gone silent, Meryl had to wonder what she was thinking.

To Meryl's relief, Adella eventually shrugged and smiled again. "I wanted to let you know that I've been considering what to do with the little girl you met. I'm going to be spreading this order amongst the others as well." She leaned forward slightly and tented her fingers. "It's time for the Twelve Sides to take a more direct approach, Meryl. We're going to have to get the full story out of the little girl and ensure the vampires cannot poison her against humans. We have to make a move for her while she's still pure and safe."

Adella learned back and stared directly at Meryl. "In short, we're going to kidnap her from her parents in the next few days."

Meryl nodded numbly, unsure how to feel about the development. On one hand, she wanted to free Renesmee from her parents. But did it have to be through kidnapping her?

"I want to wait until more of the Sages and Disciples are on-site before any moves are made," said Adella. "For the time being, the four of you are to remain on stand-by until you receive further orders."

Meryl nodded. "Okay. I understand, Mom."

Adella sat up again and smiled brightly. "Well, that's all, dear. Now do me a favor and untie Lelu, please. I'm sure she did something to deserve it, but I need the two of you ready for action!" With a parting wave, the video chat ended.

Meryl sighed and walked as slowly as she could over to Lelu. She sat down next to Lelu and removed the tape over her mouth, eliciting a sharp cry of pain. "Wow, I had no idea you knew anything about bondage!" said Lelu.

"Touch me again tonight and I'll go ahead with the whole taping down your boobs thing I mentioned earlier. I'll make sure the binding's nice and tight, too," said Meryl.

"Okay, fine, killjoy," said Lelu.

Meryl sighed and removed all the various bindings on Lelu. Once she was free, Lelu leaped from the bed.

"So what do you think about kidnapping Renesmee?" asked Meryl.

"I think it's about time we saw some action," Lelu said casually as she stretched.

"Well don't worry. I doubt this can possibly end with a diplomatic discussion, like last time." said Meryl.

"If you don't mind, I really am gonna take a bath now," Lelu said as she walked off into the bathroom.

Alone, Meryl lay on her side and hugged a pillow tight to her chest. For some reason, she couldn't shake an uneasy feeling that was building in her stomach.

* * *

Several hundred miles south, in the sprawling city of Los Angeles, there was a particular building - not very different from the other many skyscrapers that dotted the city - owned by the twelve sides. On the roof of that building stood Aiden and his unusually-large crow. She walked about on the ground next to him, pausing occasionally to caw loudly.

Aiden glanced down at her. "Getting impatient?" he asked tensely.

She turned and cawed up at him once. He nodded slowly and crossed his arms. "Me too. I can't wait to take to the field again." He huffed, crossed his arms, and turned his gaze to the sky. A helicopter approached, casting a shadow over the roof and drowning all other sound with the cocophony of its rotor blades.

A number of workers for the Third Generation prepared the helipad for the landing, while a number of guards took up position around it. Ten to fifteen minutes later the helicopter landed smoothly. The side door opened, and a young man leaped out carelessly.

He was dressed casually, in simple blue jeans and a black shirt, and his black hair was messy. He was Sergei Chirkov, the Blue Disciple. He turned back to the helicopter and glared as a number of workers for the Third Generation rushed to help a dark skinned and dark-haired young woman climb down from the helicopter.

She touched down on the helipad lightly, stood, and smoothed out her blue water-print dress. On her arms she wore a number of golden and bejeweled bangles, and around her neck she wore a single necklace, upon which dangled a moonstone. It was the mark of the Moon family, and she was Huihana Moon.

She looked around and smiled. "Ah, it's so nice to be back in America again."

Sergei frowned at the city and made a disgusted sound. "Nothing but a waste."

Aiden let his arms drop and walked over to the pair, or rather, he walked towards Huihana. "It's good to see you."

Huihana jumped a little and bowed hastily. "Ah, I didn't expect to see you here to greet us, lord Aiden!"

Aiden frowned and lifted Huihana's head gently by the chin. "Huihana, there's no need to act like that. We're equals; you're a Sage, too."

"Oh, but, I – I'm still very new at this – a - and-"

"And mother thinks you're fully qualified for the position," said Aiden.

Off to the side, forgotten by the pair of Sages, Sergei scoffed and leaned against the helicopter. "What are you doing here, Aiden? I thought Mom had ordered you to Seattle."

Aiden glanced at Sergei out of the corner of his eye. "As it happens, my connection to Seattle won't be leaving for a few more hours. I heard the two of you would be arriving before my departure time, so I decided to meet you and pay my respects."

Sergei stood straight and grinned at Aiden. "So we still have a chance to go with you? It sounds like we're going to attack soon."

"That's the plan, but I think mom expected the two of you to wait here for orders," said Aiden.

Huihana glanced at Sergei and flashed him a brief smile before looking back up at Aiden. "Aiden, are you sure we can't help? I'm sure mother would understand."

Aiden looked at Huihane for a brief time, and then nodded. "If you want, you can come with me. You'd best get ready." With a last nod to Huihana, he turned and descended the staircase back into the building. His crow fluttered onto his shoulder, but watched Huihana and Sergei out of the corner of her eye.

Huihana sprinted to catch up to Sergei, who was already following Aiden inside. She leaned in close and smiled. "He said we can go with him. That's what you wanted, right?"

"I don't need your charity, Huihana," snapped Sergei. He didn't even look at her as he spoke.

Huihana stopped in mid-step, and stared at Sergei. "I-I... I only wanted to help." Dejectedly, she brought up the rear and prepared herself for the trip ahead.

* * *

See you next time, and there'll be _action_! :O


	7. Chapter 7

_**Sunspot**_

_Only a few months have passed since the Cullen's encounter with the Volturi, and Renesmee is growing with each passing day. However, she longs to explore the world and find her own destiny. Meanwhile, forever is looking considerably shorter when the winter incident provokes a mysterious organization lurking in the shadows to step into the light... Rated M for character death. Ye be warned._

Disclaimer: Twilight and its peeps belong to Meyer. Only the OC's belong to me.

Author's Note: Sunspot - now with all those "Ok's" filtered out :D Tanks again to Aviva Tsuion.

* * *

_Seven - A house divided...__  
_

_-Renesmee  
_

* * *

"It was a bad plan, Aiden."

Aiden snapped his head upright and found himself sitting in the midst of a black void. It was just him in that infinite darkness – until three other individuals faded into view.

The first, a hunched-over crone robed in black, stood with her back to him. "Adella was right. As usual, you didn't stop to think. How can you use the vampires if they're dead?"

Aiden growled and turned away from the old woman. His vision instead fell upon a lovely woman who knelt at his side. Like the crone she wore black, but her clothing was elegant and flattering, proudly displaying her voluptuous body. "You shouldn't have even asked for permission," she said. "Damn Adella, do as you like! Roast them all to a cinder! Don't try to deny the soaring of your heart when you destroy those monsters."

The lady turned her face, framed by her raven-black hair, towards his and flashed him a dazzling smile. She leaned over his lap and caressed his side slowly. "I can make it all so much easier, you know," she purred.

Aiden shut his eyes tight and clapped a hand to his forehead. "No. The way I work isn't that simple, and you know that."

"That's right, he has to protect Meryl first!" cried a much higher-pitched voice. Aiden looked down into a child's red eyes. She wore a black blouse upon her thin frame, and smiled up at him. "She's counting on him to protect her, always and forever!"

"Meryl's just a child, and her brother is a fool," rasped the Crone.

Aiden shook his head and closed his eyes again, trying to ignore the flurry of voices coming at him from all sides.

"If you simply destroyed as many vampires as you could, she'd be much safer," said the Lady, "and what about afterwards, once her destiny is fulfilled? How will you _satisfy_ your life then?"

"By protecting her forever!" cried the Child.

"_Aiden!"_

"Aiden will not live forever. Meryl will need a new guardian, but I don't suppose he's considered that."

"Living forever for a young girl like her? He should find another _woman_..."

"No, he's already decided that he lives to protect her!"

"_AIDEN, wake up!"_

Aiden woke with a start. He forced himself to situp. He glanced around, breathing heavily. He was still in the Los Angeles headquarters of the Twelve Sides. He had dozed off while waiting for Huihana and Sergei. He doubled over and rubbed his eyes, his body soaked in cold sweat and his heart hammering. His crow stood upon the arm of his chair, silently staring up at him.

Huihana leaned in close, her expression concerned. "It looked like you were having a rough time, are you okay?" she asked.

Aiden wiped the sweat from his face and stood up unsteadily. "Yeah, just had a bad dream. Thanks for waking me up," he muttered.

He walked into the nearest bathroom and began splashing water in his face. After toweling himself off he looked up into his own visage in the mirror. He grimaced back at himself – his bloodshot and slightly sunken eyes gave him a somewhat ghastly look. His crow fluttered off of his shoulder and watched him from the counter, her beady red eyes shimmering. Aiden saw her out of the corner of his eye and turned to glare at her. The crow stared back unblinking, and cawed loudly. Aiden rolled his eyes and turned to leave the bathroom. His crow glided back onto her usual spot on his shoulder.

Outside the bathroom, Huihana was sitting down, reading a newspaper, seemingly nonchallant. Aiden frowned at her – she was watching him out of the corner of her eye. "Huihana, you're free to just ask if you want to make sure I'm all right," he said.

Huihana gave a start and set the paper down quickly on the table next to her. She walked towards him, her cheeks slightly red. "I – I just wanted to observe you for a few moments. Just to be sure."

Aiden shook his head as he walked past her. "It's just a nightmare. No need to worry," he said. "If you want to help, you should go get Sergei – we need to head to the airport soon."

Huihana jumped in surprise again and immediately looked at the nearest clock. Her face fell. "Oh, I told him to be ready!" she cried.

"I'll go let Arshaka know we're coming," said Aiden. "To be honest, I meant to get in touch with him and Meryl sooner, but passing out screwed that up."

"Good idea. I'll find Sergei while you take care of that," said Huihana.

Aiden watched in bemusement as Huihana scurried away, and then riffled through his belongings for his laptop. After waiting a minute or two for it to warm up, Aiden quickly confirmed that only Arshaka was currently logged in.

Aiden leaned back and frowned contemplatively. "Must be busy," he muttered as he reached for his cellphone. Thinking better of it, he shook his head and opened a video chat line with Arshaka instead. "I'll speak with her when I get there."

On the other end, at the Seattle Westin, Arshaka's attention was drawn to his computer by the ping from his chat service. He paused to laugh upon noticing that it was Aiden who was attempting to speak with him. The moment their video connection completed, he grinned and waved to the Red Sage. "Back in America, Aiden?"

Aiden gave Arshaka a pointed stare. "Yes. I'll be joining you up there soon."

"When can we expect you?" asked Arshaka.

"Let the Disciples know that I, Sergei and Huihana will be arriving tonight," said Aiden. "Once we're there and settled everything, we're to begin planning our move to kidnap the dhampir."

"That won't be a problem, my fellow Sage. I will pass your message along without fail," Arshaka said with a smirk.

"Tell Meryl that I'll be looking forward to seeing her," added Aiden.

"You're such a good brother," said Arshaka.

Aiden frowned but said nothing else before cutting off the chat. Now alone, Arshaka leaned back in his chair and chuckled. "Finally moving at last, huh?"

Still laughing quietly, Arshaka made the short walk to Meryl and Lelu's room and knocked briefly upon the door. Meryl opened and looked up at him, her eyes narrowed, but she stood aside and gestured him in.

Lelu looked up lethargically and nodded at Arshaka from the bed. "Hey boss," she said calmly.

"Getting some use out of that?" Arshaka asked with a nod to the bed.

Lelu laughed and sat up. "Oh yes, Meryl tied me up and gagged me last night! It was wild!"

Arshaka glanced over his shoulder at Meryl. He wasn't quite sure if he believed what Lelu had said, but was on the verge of breaking out in laughter nonetheless. "Did you really?"

"Only because she was being a pervert," growled Meryl. She walked around Arshaka and towards her computer. She was in the midst of observing the Cullens, but her attention was fixed upon Renesmee.

"Notice that she didn't deny it!" Lelu said in sing-song.

Arshaka watched the two. Putting Meryl and Lelu in the same room had turned out just as amusing as he would have hoped, but the time for that had passed. He had to get to work. "All joking aside, I do have information for the two of you," he said. He paused, giving Lelu and Meryl time to give him their attention. "Aiden and the Blue team will be arriving tonight, and Mother's ordered us to secure the little dhampir," he said.

"Aiden's coming?" Meryl asked eagerly.

"Yeah, and he's looking forward to seeing you," said Arshaka. "It's a shame we haven't got much to show for our time spent here," he added off-handedly.

Meryl snapped upwards, her eyes practically sparkling. "Hey, we could capture Renesmee now!" she cried excitedly.

Lelu turned and cocked an eyebrow at Meryl. "Woah, seriously?" She demanded. "We haven't even gotten to planning for this one!"

"We know these vampires, we know where they live, what they do, their abilities," Meryl said with a smirk. "And most importantly, we're trained for this sort of thing and they aren't. They won't know what hit them if it comes down to a fight."

Lelu narrowed her eyes at her lap. "Yeah, I guess," she said slowly. "If we plan this carefully - and we'll have Aaron with us, just in case."

"If you're so determined to pull this off, then I'll authorize the raid," said Arsahaka. "I'll take command from here and direct you."

"No problem!" Meryl cried as she pumped her fist.

"Then I suggest you get ready. I'll call for some backup and see to your transportation," said Arshaka. He turned to leave, but paused a moment when he touched the doorknob. "Make the Third Generation proud," he said with a sideways glance towards the girls. Without another word, he was gone.

Lelu immediately sank back onto the bed. "You're awfully excited about this one," she said lazily.

"It'll be my chance to really make Aiden proud of me," said Meryl. "He's trusting me – us, to get the girl. I won't let him down."

"Someone's got a brother complex," Lelu said in a sing-song tone.

"No I don't!" Meryl cried indignantly.

"Sure," Lelu said slowly. She sat back up and leaped off of the bed. "Well, while you convince yourself that you don't need to see a shrink, I'll go get Aaron so we can plan."

Meryl glared at Lelu until she was out the door, and then turned her attention back onto Renesmee. The little girl was silently reading manga in one of the side rooms of the house. Meryl frowned at the sight of her hiding within her own home. "Don't worry. We'll take you away from your awful parents soon," she whispered.

A few rooms over, Lelu explained Meryl's decision to Aaron. The moment she finished, Aaron leaped up and began gathering his things. Lelu watched his speedy work amusedly. "Someone's an eager beaver?" she asked.

"Hell, you don't even know. I've been itching for some action," said Aaron.

"Well once you're ready, meet me and Meryl in our room. Once whatever help Arshaka's called for arrives we're gonna plan," Lelu said on her way out the door.

The trio had ultimately prepared themselves in less then a half hour, but their backup had yet to arrive. They spent the time until then discussing their strategy. They ultimately decided that the simplest way to handle their mission was to just grab Renesmee and flee back to Seattle with all speed. Of course, it was unlikely that the vampires would fail to notice what they had done, and it was a very real possibility that a fight with the Cullens was going to break out, but they could deal with that when it came.

In the late afternoon, roughly an hour into their discussions, brisk knocking came from their door. Meryl leaped up to answer the door, revealing a tall and irritable-looking woman. Her height, long spiky hair and annoyed glare together gave her a rather formidable appearance. She placed a hand on her hip and nodded curtly to Meryl, Lelu and Aaron. "Disciples. My name is Alexia Anthis, and I am the Sub-Captain of Special Squad Six."

"It's nice to meet you," said Meryl. She smiled affably at Alexia, but the larger girl simply stared back through narrowed eyes.

Lelu walked up from behind Meryl, and glared up at Alexia. "I've never even heard of Special Squad Six," she said.

Alexia's eyebrows twitched closer together. "We're one of ten small squads of the most promising hunters of the Third Generation that are not members of the Twelve Sides," snapped Alexia.

Meryl turned to Lelu and nodded. "Yeah, basically, they're Disciple candidates," she said.

Meryl glanced turned back towards Alexia and flinched – the Vice-Captain was glaring directly at _her_, now. "We prefer not to be called that," Alexia said slowly.

Meryl laughed nervously. "Duly noted," she said.

Alexia sighed lightly, but she took her piercing gaze off of Meryl. "The Captain and the rest of the squad are waiting outside – along with our transport," she said.

"We're ready to go," said Aaron. Indeed, he was bobbing slightly on his heels.

Lelu crossed her arms and leaned closer to Alexia. "We're not going to plan?" she asked.

Alexia turned and stared calmly back. "We have a long way to go and the Black Sage told us to have this done quickly. We'll plan once we've arrived and assessed the situation." Alexia turned and left the room without even a goodbye to the disciples. Aaron followed her directly, leaving Lelu and Meryl bringing up the rear.

"Hey, we technically outrank this Alexia chick. Why're we letting her talk down to us?" whispered Lelu.

Meryl glanced at Alexia. "She's kinda scary," she admitted.

Lelu was silent for a moment, and then bowed her head. "Yeah. I see your point."

Outside, Alexia directed the disciples to a pair of cars in the parking lot, around which the rest of Squad Six was waiting. The four present were two men and two women. One of the men noticed the group, and walked up to greet the approaching disciples. "My name is Eyal Attali, the Captain of Special Squad Six. It is a pleasure," he said with a nod. He gestured towards the other three members of his squad. "These are Alicia Johnson, Max Anderson, and Cessilia Turner. Alexia, you have already met."

Eyal Attali was a large, nearly middle-aged man, with tidy black hair and sharp facial features. He wore a black longcoat with wide sleeves. Both his gloves and boots were metal-plated.

He offered his hand to Aaron, who shook it firmly. Meryl was surprised to find Eyal not even wincing under what must have been a tight grip. She did notice that the Captain was given Aaron the slightest of glares. "Hello, pup," said Eyal.

Aaron laughed and smirked back at Eyal. "Don't tell me you're still bitter about that, man!"

Lelu looked curiously from Eyal to Aaron. "You two know each other?" she asked.

"He used to be the Yellow Disciple. Then I showed up and Old Man Heng recognized my superior talent!" said Aaron.

"Believe what you like," muttered Eyal. He turned and nodded to Meryl and Lelu, his expression brightening. "Once again, it's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard of both of you."

"Same here," said Meryl. "I'm glad someone like you will be helping us."

She meant her words. Aaron might have thought himself stronger than Eyal, but Meryl felt reliable solidarity emanating from the Captain. Alexia too, despite her harsh temper, appeared to be dependable and resilient as well. The two seemed to compliment each other that way.

"It is my honor to receive praise from you," said Eyal.

Meryl immediately blushed and waved her hands hastily in front of her. "No – no, I'm still new in the Twelve Sides, I'm nobody important!"

"I'm not sure about that; the Red Sage praises you regularly. If you're high in your brother's esteem, you must have earned it.

Meryl looked back at Eyal curiously. "Have you fought alongside him?"

This time, Eyal genuinely grinned. "Yes, it was a sight to behold."

Lelu abruptly leaped between the two and waved eagerly to Eyal. "Nice to meetcha!" she cried.

Eyal glanced at Lelu and cocked an eyebrow at her. "Ah yes, the Black Disciple. I've heard you're quite skilled at illusions," he said.

Lelu put her hands on her hips and grinned up at Eyal. "You heard right, Captain!" she said.

Eyal chuckled and turned back towards the cars. "Well, we are on a tight agenda, ladies, gentleman and seat-stealer, so let's get a move on," he said as he began walking towards the front car.

Aaron laughed as he walked around the same car to lower himself into the back seats. "You gotta learn to let it go, man!" he said. Meryl slid into the seat next to Aaron, while Alicia took the driver's seat and Eyal the passenger seat. Alexia, Lelu, Max and Cessilia took the other car. Moments later they had set out down the familiar roads towards Forks, the same way that Meryl and Lelu had taken less than two weeks ago. But this time Meryl and Lelu went in separate cars.

"Captain, you and your subordinate are to keep this under your hats, we clear?" Aaron suddenly spoke up. "Orders from Mother."

"Alicia and I aren't even here," Eyal said off-handedly.

"Speak freely, we won't breath a word of it," said Alicia.

Meryl turned and stared at Aaron, wondering what he could possibly have to say that needed to be kept so secret. "What's up, Aaron?" she asked.

"Did you ever see Lelu acting suspiciously, Meryl?" asked Aaron.

"Oh," Meryl gasped, not having seen that question coming. Even after all the time she had spent together with Lelu, Meryl never found any serious reason to doubt her. The worst that Lelu had ever done was to annoy Meryl with her perverseness. She never went off on her own, held secret conversations with Arshaka or appeared to be spying on Meryl. After a time, Meryl began to doubt if she had anything to worry about the Black Disciple. "No, she never really did anything suspicious when I was with her," she said.

Aaron crossed his arms and frowned. "She sure didn't bother stopping us from coming out here today," he muttered.

"W-what do you mean?" asked Meryl.

Aaron chuckled humorlessly. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you kinda leaped into this mission without thinking it through. Part of me wanted to argue that we weren't ready for it, but I decided not to crush your enthusiasm." He sat back casually. "Hey Captain, what do you make of this?"

"Arshaka didn't bother giving me very many details, but this mission feels somewhat rushed," said Eyal. "Is this particularly urgent?"

"Not really," Meryl said slowly. She had to stop herself from slapping her forehead in frustration. Maybe she _had_ been a little stupid volunteering them so quickly. On the other hand, Arshaka didn't bother stopping them... "Should we turn around?" she asked.

"No, we've already received our orders to go ahead from Arshaka – a sage – so we have no choice in the matter," said Eyal.

"Besides, there's something fishy about this," said Aaron. "If there's more to this mission than meets the eye, then we should get to the bottom of it."

Meryl turned to Aaron, but he said no more. Eyal and Alicia were also silent. Meryl watched the passing trees instead, thinking about what Aaron had said. Was it really possible that Arshaka was acting against the Third Generation? She glanced once again at Aaron. She knew that he didn't trust Lelu, so was he simply accusing Arshaka – her sage - out of hand? She only hoped that her haste wouldn't turn out poorly.

The ensuing four hours passed by very slowly for Meryl. After a time, Aaron indulged her in some small-talk, but Eyal remained stubbornly silent unless directly spoken to. Alicia would occasionally speak to one of the disciples, but she mostly kept her focus on the road. As the sun began to set, Meryl realized that Aiden's plan would be landing in Seattle soon. With the realization, her heart gave a lurch. She had been working without him across Asia and Africa for the past two or three months, but she would see him again soon. And yet...

She bowed her head low. She didn't deserve to see him...

* * *

Huihana stepped out into the front lobby of the Seatac airport, working carefully around all the other visitors. Aiden and Sergei followed behind, somewhat more clumsily than her. Her eyes fell upon the Yellow Sage, and she made her way to him quickly. Guan Heng stood with his arms crossed, watching the others approach.

"Lord Heng, when did you arrive?" asked Huihana.

"Just an hour ago," said Heng. "I met with Arshaka, and then came here to greet you."

"Well, it's good to see you again, old man," Aiden said as he caught up to Huihana, Sergei followed directly behind him.

Heng shook his head slowly. "You'll be less pleased when you hear what I have to say," he muttered. "According to Arshaka, the disciples jumped the gun and went to Forks to capture the little dhampir."

Aiden's expression immediately twisted into a look of shocked fury. "Why the hell would he let them do that?" he hissed, his anger barely controlled.

"I don't know who's stupider; Meryl, Aaron and Lelu for trying this, or Arshaka for letting them," murmured Sergei.

"Shouldn't we call them?" asked Huihana.

"No, there's no telling what their condition is at this moment. We could end up doing more harm than good," Aiden said slowly.

"Are we heading out?" asked Sergei.

"Arshaka sent Eyal's squad with them, so they might be fine," said Heng.

"Either way, we have to make sure the dhampir is in our hands," Aiden said. He began walking towards the front door. "Let's go, we're heading to Forks."

Sergei followed close behind him, an eager smirk across his face. Huihana frowned in concern as she walked behind Sergei. "Sergei, please tell me you wouldn't do something so reckless," she whined.

"I'm smarter than that," said Sergei.

Behind him, Heng shook his head slowly. The quartet stepped out of the lobby, and quickly found Heng's car in the parking lot. After a short while, they sped along to Forks.

* * *

The sky was darkening as the pair of vehicles pulled onto a secluded road off of highway 101. The eight members of the Third Generation filed out of the vehicles and under the night sky. Without a word, they assembled and crouched low.

"Our mission is to capture the dhampir Renesmee Cullen and return her to Seattle," said Eyal. "Once there, we will move her to Los Angeles.

"Lelu and I already know this area best," said Meryl. "With our combined abilities, we can easily sneak into the Cullens' house and get out with Renesmee before they even notice us."

Eyal nodded to Meryl. "Then the rest of us will remain here and be ready to leave the moment Meryl and Lelu return."

"If I may," Aaron spoke up. "Patrolling this area are three Quileute wolf-shifters. We have no idea how well Lelu's illusions work on them. I think I should go too, just in case something happens," he said after a pause.

Eyal stared at Aaron silently for a few seconds, until he eventually nodded. "Very well. You have a point."

"W-what if the Cullens p-pursue us?" asked Cessilia. Meryl watched Cessilia in pity as she quivered. This must have been her first serious mission against such a large group of vampires. After briefly scanning Max and Alicia, she realized they seemed just as nervous as Cessilia.

"I'm not expecting the three of you to fight so many vampires," said Eyal. "If it comes down to it, any fighting will be handled by the disciples, myself, and Alexia."

"On that note, how do we go about creaming the Cullens if we _do_ fight them?" asked Lelu. She withdrew a stack of papers - information forms on each of the Cullens – and laid them out on the ground.

"The only one worth worrying about is Jasper. He's an experienced fighter, which means I will handle him," Eyal said after he had skimmed through them.

"Don't underestimate the girl Alice," muttered Alexia. "If she's really Jasper's mate, I wouldn't be terribly surprised if she's learned some things from him."

"Then I'll trust you to keep the two separated," said Eyal.

Alexia narrowed her eyes and nodded. "You can count on me, Captain."

"As for the others," said Lelu, "Carlisle's supposed to be a pacifist, so I doubt he'll do much fighting. We have no records on his wife _ever_ fighting either. Emmet's strong but doesn't have much skill, and Rosalie isn't notable for fighting."

"Neither is Edward," said Meryl. "His telepathy won't help him at all with me around, and I kinda got the impression the guy's a coward anyways."

"This newborn Bella is nothing special either," said Lelu. "Newborns are strong, but they're always the most predictable in a fight." She paused, and flashed a grin. "In fact, I bet I can make her work for us. She could do the most damage to the others the fastest."

Aaron scoffed and waved his arm. "Most of these vamps are untrained. They're just your run-of-the-mill vampires picking on people who are weaker than them. We'll take them easily enough."

"What about these wolves that are helping them?" asked Alexia.

"I'll handle them," Aaron said without missing a beat.

"How do we keep civilians from getting involved?" asked Max.

"We had the highway closed at various points between here and Seattle," Eyal said off-handedly.

Lelu cocked an eyebrow at Eyal. "You do realize that that's kind of a lot of miles? Won't the police be all over us?"

"That'll take time," said Eyal. "We should have lost the vampires before that becomes important."

"We have the manpower to close a highway?" Alicia asked in amazement.

"No, but we can have actual highway crews or related teams close it for us by sending fake work orders around," said Alexia.

Meryl shook her head. "I pity whoever's put in charge of clearing up the logistics nightmare this is going to cause," she muttered.

"Better than letting innocents get killed." said Aaron.

Silence ensued. Meryl nodded to Lelu, who returned the gesture. Lelu rose and lead the way to the Cullen house. Although they were shrouded by Lelu's illusions, they still moved silently and slowly through the underbrush toward the house. In reality, the short journey to the Cullen house only took a few minutes, but it felt much longer. They found a secluded spot to watch the front door.

"And now we stakeout," Lelu said as she sat on the grass.

"I wonder when they put this girl to bed," Aaron muttered as he joined Lelu on the ground.

Meryl said nothing, and tried to ease the hammering of her heart. She frowned at her lap, wondering what had her so nervous.

"Hey Meryl," Lelu suddenly spoke up. She grinned and gestured at Meryl with a playing card pack. "Wanna continue our game?"

Meryl stared at Lelu in disbelief for a short while, before bursting out in laughter. "Lelu, you never change do you?" she eventually asked.

"I try not to," Lelu said with a satisfied grin.

"I have a feeling I missed the punchline behind this one," muttered Aaron.

Meryl smiled at him and patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, big guy. Let's just take it easy and wait for the vampires."

Aaron grumbled and lay back on the grass. Meryl leaned back as well to watch the sky, even though the omnipresent Washington cloudiness made it impossible to see the stars. Everything was going to be considerably less calm soon enough.

* * *

"RENESMEE, WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS DEPRAVITY?"

"It's called Ouran High School Host Club, daddy," said Renesmee.

Edward flipped through the Manga with an ever-deepening look of contempt on his face. "Why are these boys so feminine and close together, and why is this girl dressed like a boy?"

Renesmee rolled her eyes and remained sitting on the ground where her father had found her. Looming silently in his shadow was her mother. "Daddy, it's a part of the story. She's pretending to be a boy so she can work at the host club to pay off her debt," she explained.

"And what is a 'host club'?" asked Edward.

"A group of attractive high school boys get together and are hired by high school girls for entertainment and romance."

"I DO NOT APPROVE OF YOU READING ABOUT PROSTITUTION!"

Renesmee hastily waved her arms in front of her "There's no sex in it at all!"

"Renesmee, you can wash your mouth out, and then throw this book out when you're done with it!" Edward said as he flung the book over his shoulder.

Renesmee watched the manga hit the ground with a sinking heart. That had been a gift from Rosalie and Emmett... "Awww, but it has cute boys in it!" she whined.

"Renesmee, it is far too soon for you to be thinking about cute boys!" snapped Edward.

"Oh," Renesmee paused. She looked down and glared at the floor, her frustration building. "I'll go ask Uncle Emmett if I can borrow Sekirei, in that case," she suggested bitterly.

"What is that?" demanded Edward

"It's one of these book things we got from the convention," Emmett said as he walked into the room. "Bunch of hot busty chicks fight. Actually it's pretty deep if you read it."

Edward rounded on Emmett and balled his fist at him. "EMMETT, YOU MUST STOP READING ABOUT WOMEN WITH HUGE BOSOMS FIGHTING EACH OTHER, IT DEMEANS WOMEN AND TURNS THEM INTO OBJECTS! IT WILL DOOM YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH ROSALIE!"

Esme poked her head into the room. Though she smiled at Edward, her eyebrows were twitching just slightly. "Edward, discuss things over with Emmett with your indoor-voice please!" she called out.

Edward next turned to Esme, grinning. "Good idea, we'll-"

"Two more days before we can have another family meeting," Esme added quickly.

Edward growled and paused for a moment. "Fine then," he eventually conceded. "Renesmee, you are not allowed to read these sick booklets any longer," he added.

"Why not?" demanded Rosalie.

"Hey, cool it, Wardo! Rosalie and I got those for her for a reason!" said Emmett.

Edward glared briefly at Emmett before turning back to Renesmee. "They're inappropriate for you," he said.

"What, and half the stuff I already read isn't? Such lovely stories like _The_ _Monk_?"

"Those stories will widen your horizons!" Edward said as he flailed his arms. "They'll tell you about the evils of the Spanish Inquisition!"

"And these won't broaden my horizons?" Renesmee demanded as she gestured towards a stack of other Manga.

Rosalie joined the ensuing spectacle in the room. It took her only a moment to comprehend the unfolding drama. "Giving Renesmee a hard time _again_?" she demanded.

"Nessie, listen to your father," said Bella.

Renesmee rounded on her mother and glared up at her. Her eyes were beginning to sting with tears. "Sure thing mom, I'll be just like you and never have any opinions of my own!"

Bella was taken aback for a second, but she quickly mastered herself and looked down on her daughter. "Renesmee Carlie Cullen, don't talk like that to me!" she snapped.

Rosalie nearly roared in anger as she walked forward to place herself between Bella and Renesmee. "And don't talk like that to _her_, she's right!" she growled.

Edward glanced at Rosalie and gave her a condescending look. "Don't interfere, Rosalie," he said. "We're only doing what's best for her."

"No, you're not!" cried Renesmee. "I understand that you think you are, but you're not! You want my horizons to broaden, but only within the bounds that you understand! What about what _I_ want? The kind of person that _I_ want to be!?"

Bella and Edward stared down stonily at her, while Rosalie and Emmett glared at them. Esme walked into the room and cleared her throat.

"Unless I'm mistaken, it's Renesmee's bed-time," she said. "Why not let her sleep in one of our guest rooms, lord knows we may as well actually _use_ the things, while the two of you have a private night to yourselves in the cottage?"

Bella shot a glare at Rosalie and seized her daughter by the hand. "That's fine, Esme, thank you for the offer, but I'm more comfortable having her close by."

Rosalie grabbed Bella's hand that was holding Renesmee and tried to pry it loose, but before Rosalie could get Renesmee free, Bella seized Rosalie's hand with her remaining free hand. Rosalie tried to free herself, but Bella still had her heightened strength as a newborn, allowing her to easily overpower Rosalie. A shadow seemed to pass over Bella's eyes, making her impossible to read as her grip on Rosalie's wrist tightened. Rosalie winced as the stone skin of her wrist began to crack.

Emmett stepped forward, and almost seemed to grow to larger proportions than usual. He towered over Bella and glared down at her. "Let her go. Both of them," he said slowly and deliberately.

Panicking, Renesmee turned and saw Edward approaching. She immediately realized what was going to happen if she allowed things to continue. "That's fine. I'll go with you, Mommy," she said thickly.

Rosalie looked at her, her expression disbelieving. She let go of Bella's hand as if she was stung, and Bella released her. Without another word, Bella directed Renesmee firmly from the house, Edward following behind. Rosalie stood on the spot, staring at her own feet as her hands shook in impotent rage.

Emmett sighed and rubbed his wife's shoulders. "I-I... I hate this feeling, Emmett," Rosalie said thickly. "Powerlessness. Being pissed beyond all reason but I can't do a damn thing. It reminds me of..."

"Shh, I know. I understand," whispered Emmett.

Rosalie sighed and collapsed backwards into his arms. Esme excused herself to give the pair some privacy.

"What about Renesmee?" moaned Rosalie. "Trying to help her only made things worse."

"Don't worry," said Emmett. "Renesmee's tough, even at her age. She'll pull through. Things'll work out, I promise."

Rosalie leaned back and let herself be drawn into his arms. "Thank you for being with me, Emmett," she whispered.

"I always will be."

* * *

"They're coming out, finally!" said Aaron. He immediately leaped up to a crouching position.

"Keep it down," hissed Meryl, though she too was eager for something to finally happen.

"Don't sweat it, nobody can hear or see us," Lelu said confidently. As if to illustrate the point, she stood up and cupped her hands over her mouth. "HEY VAMPS, YOUR TASTE IN CLOTHING SUCKS! AND YOU'RE FLAT AS A CHILD, BELLA!"

Meryl clapped a hand to her forehead while Aaron burst out laughing. "Try and take this a little seriously," hissed Meryl. "All right, now we follow them off to wherever they go at night. You two remember the plan?"

"We rush in, grab the kid, meet back up with Captain Eyal and his squad and take her back to Seattle," said Aaron. He turned to smirk at Lelu. "Should be simple, right?"

"And if it isn't, we have some fun with the vamps," said Lelu while returning Aaron's grin.

"Fine, don't take any of this seriously. Just don't cry to me when you get us killed," Meryl said as she followed after Edward, Bella and Renesmee.

Not far away, Leah glanced off in their direction. She could have sworn she heard something rustling in the grass. She vaguely wondered to herself where Jacob was - presumably off getting some food. She could almost feel the hair on her back stand on-end. Something didn't feel right about tonight.

In her bed in the cottage, Renesmee idly toyed with her two cherished belongings, the locket her mother had given her for Christmas, and the special jewel the Volturi had given to her mother, who had in turn passed it on to Renesmee. Both gifts were somewhat soulless, being marks of the Cullens' wealth than anything else, but the fact they had come from her mom was what made them important to her. Mommy, who endured Renesmee even as she broke her body. Mommy, who came to the brink of death to ensure she, Renesmee, would live. Mommy, who couldn't accept her now that she started to have a personality of her own.

Silent tears drifted down Renesmee's eyes as she fell into uneasy sleep.

Outside the cottage, Meryl, Lelu and Aaron waited in silence for a full hour. Long enough for Edward and Bella to begin their nightly love making, and long enough for Renesmee to finally drift off to sleep.

Lelu glanced at Meryl and nodded. "They won't hear or see anything but their own pure, missionary-position, sex. Go for it, girl."

Meryl stood up and crept away from the bushes, her heart pounding. Destroying vampires was relatively simple - sneaking around them was less so. Her apprehension was slowly replaced by disgust as she drew near. The closer Meryl got to the cottage, the more she disliked it. It was like it had been dropped out of a Disney movie and felt out of place in the world of reality. She found the door locked, but she easily crushed the lock and let the door slide open.

As she stepped over the threshold, she summoned a small fireball to light her way. The inside of the house was even worse. It was decorated in a ridiculous and artsy way, looking more like something out of a painting than a place for people to live. She sneaked forward slowly and carefully into the hallway. The loud sounds coming from one door must have been the parents, which meant Renesmee had to have been on the opposite side of the other door. Meryl eased the door open and crept inside.

There she was, Renesmee, asleep on her bed. Meryl paused for a moment to watch her, so small and fragile...

As the small light came closer, Renesmee's eyes tensed and slid open. She glanced blearily at Meryl and narrowed her eyes. "Nanoha? Wha-"

"Lullaby," said Meryl. Renesmee's eyes clouded over and she collapsed back on her bed, this time sleeping soundly. Meryl walked forward and gently scooped her up in her arms. "It's all okay now, dear. I've come to take you away from these people," she whispered. Renesmee slept on, unheeding of Meryl's words. As she turned to leave, Meryl caught sight of the locket and the jewel, attached to their fine chains and sitting on Renesmee's bedside table. Guessing that they must have held some significance for the girl, Meryl pocketed them before continuing on. As she darted out of the cottage, Meryl turned to spare it one last contemptuous glance.

"Damn, fantasy love shack," she growled under her breath. "Vampires. Renesmee will be better off with us, and you – you..."

She chanted a few words, and the fireball that hovered around her expanded. "This'll be our first blow!" she screamed. With a flick of her wrist, she let the fireball fly into the cottage. The wooden building slowly began to burn. The vampires would have time to escape, once the disciples were gone, but the cottage would be lost.

Meryl turned away from the cottage and continued on to meet Aaron and Lelu. Against the slowly-building fire, she looked like little more than a silhouette. In that moment Meryl Brandon - and all of the Third Generation along with her - was truly like a shadow of death, sweeping across the vampiric world.

* * *

Hang on, next time we have A FIGHT! :O


	8. Chapter 8

_**Sunspot**_

_Only a few months have passed since the Cullen's encounter with the Volturi, and Renesmee is growing with each passing day. However, she longs to explore the world and find her own destiny. Meanwhile, forever is looking considerably shorter when the winter incident provokes a mysterious organization lurking in the shadows to step into the light... Rated M for character death. Ye be warned._

Disclaimer: Twilight and its peeps belong to Meyer. Only the OC's belong to me.

Author's Note: Thanks again to Aviva Tsuion.

* * *

Huihana slipped back into the driver seat of the car she, Aiden, Heng and Sergei were using. Sergei peered out the window at the work crews dispatched to Highway 101 and growled at the sight. "Couldn't Arshaka have waited a little longer to block off this damn highway?" he demanded.

"At least he got them to let us through," Aiden said calmly.

Heng sat in the passenger seat, his arms folded. "Sergei has a point. These blocks on the highway are slowing us down," he muttered.

Huihana had them going again moments later. They had been making good progress, up until they arrived in Port Angeles. By then Arshaka's fake road work orders - , meant to keep civilians out of the way for the disciple's retreat back to Seattle, had gone into effect. This slowed down the sages considerably until they were finally out of the city limits. They still had almost an hour to go before they would reach Forks – assuming they weren't stalled again by road construction.

"Next landmark on our way – Lake Crescent," Huihana said conversationally.

"That's the perfect place for us," mumbled Sergei.

Huihana glanced at Sergei through her rearview mirror. "It's still nearly forty minutes out of Forks," she said.

"That's close enough," said Aiden. He reached over his shoulder and tapped his crow on the back. She turned and looked him in the eye, and then gave off a loud caw.

"Morrigan, please go ahead and find Meryl for me, would you?" asked Aiden. Across from him, Sergei gave him an incredulous look. Morrigan, however, cawed again and swooped through Aiden's window.

Sergei laughed and shook his head. "We're going to leave your crow beh-" he began to say, until Morrigan flew ahead of them, rapidly shrinking away into the darkness of the night. He stared at the windshield in shock. "What the hell is up with your crow!?" he eventually demanded.

"Crows are very smart, Sergei," said Huihana. "Besides, I heard that Morrigan's always with Aiden - she probably understands him well."

"I meant that she's flying faster than seventy miles per hour, not that she understood him!" cried Sergei.

Huihana gave a shrug and said nothing.

Aiden, on the other hand, sighed and leaned back. "It's all in her wingspan," he muttered.

Sergei scoffed and waved an arm at Aiden. "Fine, keep your secrets," he said as he turned to look out his own window. "Why isn't Arshaka with the them anyways?"

"We need the Cullens alive for now. Arshaka's useless if you're not fighting to kill," muttered Heng. Sergei gave him a questioning look, but Heng said nothing.

"Arshaka's shadow familiars demand at least one death toll if he summons them," Huihana explained. Sergei nodded and returned his attention to his window.

"Huihana, you and Sergei should get off once we reach this lake. Heng and I will go on ahead," said Aiden. "You two should wait here to ambush the vampires in case they slip past us."

Huihana nodded without taking her eyes off of the road. "Sure thing," she said. The road slipped past the car as they hurried on.

* * *

**Chapter Eight: **

**~M**

**Burning Dove, fly, Volcanic Crow, soar!**

My brother makes his arrival...

* * *

Renesmee in hand, Meryl hurried back towards the undergrowth, where Aaron and Lelu awaited. Lelu was already staring at the fire in disbelief. "What the hell did you do that for, Meryl?" she demanded, gesturing at the growing blaze.

Meryl paused and glanced back towards the fire. She felt sick to her stomach as she realized what an impulsive move that had been – there was no chance of their presence going unnoticed now. "I wanted to send them a message," she eventually said, attempting to save some face.

Lelu rolled her eyes at Meryl. "What message? 'Here we are, please come murder us'?"

"They would have noticed before long either way," said Aaron. "One of the wolves has been hovering around the cottage – they probably noticed some sign of us."

Meryl turned back around and saw the small form of one of the wolves bounding towards the small shack. Ice flooding her, she hurried back to the highway.

"Forget hiding, our best shot is moving quickly," said Aaron. He paused and gestured in Lelu's direction. "Lelu, please hold on tight to my back."

Lelu hesitated and gave him a confused glance. "Like a piggyback ride?" she said slowly.

Aaron grinned. "Not quite." Aaron leaned forward a little, his body quivering slightly. Then, in a burst of fur and shredded clothing, he grew into the form of a bear-sized wolf. Of all the clothes he had on, only his blindfold remained, though it had gained a new strap that looped around his upper jaw. He shook himself out, his black fur swaying in the air.

Lelu shrank back for a moment, her expression one of complete shock. Meryl grinned at Lelu, up until Lelu leaped forward, laughing. "Wow, amazing! Now I see why Eyal and Heng called you 'pup'!" she cried. Lelu absent-mindedly patted Aaron on the head several times, until she realized what she was doing and hastily pulled her hand back. "Ah, sorry. I shouldn't be doing that - you're not a dog." Aaron turned his head slightly and nodded, as if to say "apology accepted."

A little hesitantly, Lelu settled herself on Aaron's back. She leaned close and held on tight with her arms and legs. "So, like this?" she asked uncertainly.

Aaron nodded – and sprang forward at full speed. Meryl laughed in exhilaration as she took to the skies on her flaming wings, keeping low to the ground and weaving around the trees in front of her. She held Renesmee protectively to her chest.

On Aaron, Lelu squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her face firmly into Aaron's back. The trip that had taken several minutes on foot took less than five the opposite way. As the disciples returned to the road, Meryl descended and Aaron slowed to a stop. Lelu rolled off of Aaron's back and twitched on the grass until she trusted her legs enough to stand.

While Lelu brushed herself off, Aaron shifted back into his human form, new clothing shimmering in place over his body. Aaron felt the clothes and nodded approvingly. "Your handiwork hasn't failed yet, Meryl," he said.

Lelu looked at Aaron, then at Meryl, and broke into a fit of laughter. "You put a spell on him that would generate new clothes for him?" she asked.

Meryl frowned and crossed her arms. "I worked with him during the uprisings in Asia last summer. Believe me; I'd had enough of seeing Aaron naked after the first few days."

"We don't have time, let's go," Aaron said urgently as he hurried down the road. The girls nodded, and ran along with him. Meryl ran just a little slower than the others, so as not to jostle Renesmee too much.

Within moments, the pair of vehicles and Eyal's squad came into view. Before the disciples even arrived, Alexia and Cessilia got into the rear car, while Max and Alicia moved into the front. Eyal, however, hurried towards the disciples.

Eyal's eyes centered almost immediately on Renesmee. "You were successful, then," he said. Realizing their urgency, Eyal narrowed his eyes at the disciples "What's the situation? Are you being followed?" he asked quickly.

"Not right now, but that probably won't last long," said Meryl.

Eyal nodded and turned back towards the cars. "Then let's hurry back," he said.

With unspoken consent, Meryl and Eyal got into the front seat, while Aaron and Lelu chose the back. Alicia already had the engine running, and they set off for the highway the moment Meryl and Eyal were seated. They soon turned on to the highway and drove back east as quickly as they dared. The other car was directly behind them. The road flew past them, but all too slowly. They were still dangerously close to Forks. Meryl handed Renesmee over to Max, though she felt a little uncomfortable about letting her go.

The sound of Eyal speaking on his cellphone drew Meryl's attention to the Captain. "Alexia, if these vampires overtake us, we're going to have to stall them while the rest of the squad escapes with the dhampir." A short pause. "All right. If you see any sign of the vampires, let me know immediately." A moment later he nodded and snapped his phone closed.

Turning away from Eyal, Meryl breathed steadily to try to ease her nervousness. Try as she might, she couldn't shake an uncomfortable squirming feeling in her stomach. She had fought vampires before, but she had been fighting to _destroy_. These were vampires they couldn't afford to kill. Meryl looked to her left at Max. It struck her in that moment how _young_ he looked – she wasn't sure if he was even twenty yet. If he was already in one of the Squads, he must have demonstrated a lot of promise. His face was white, and he was clutching Renesmee's sleeping body tightly.

Meryl reached across and touched him softly on the shoulder, causing him to jump in surprise. She forced a warm smile for him as he turned to look at her. "It'll be okay. We'll protect you and the others," she said.

Max smiled feebly in return, and then turned his attention to the front. Meryl looked outside her window, though she wasn't really paying any attention to what she saw. Her hand strayed towards her own cell phone. For a short while she seriously considered calling Aiden, until she finally decided against it. At best, he was still in Seattle – four hours away. And besides...

She frowned and leaned forward, her forehead sliding into the window. She had to prove that she could manage her problems on her own.

* * *

The scent of smoke reached Leah, rudely snapping her to attention. The smoke was drifting from Bella and Edward's cottage. As confusion and frustration built up inside her, she ran towards the cottage with all speed. _What the hell were those vamps doing?_

Leah slid to a stop the moment the cottage came into view. It was ablaze. She had expected a small accident of some type - perhaps their fireplace going out of control – but not that the whole damn cottage would be on fire. Leah cursed and slipped back into her human form. She looked around hastily for some method to alert Bella and Edward. _Why hadn't they already noticed the damn fire!? Was sex _that _great?_

Her eyes fell upon a small stone in the grass, and she quickly picked it up. Leah pulled her arm back, took aim, and pitched the rock into the window of Edward and Bella's room. If the circumstances were different, she'd probably have smirked from having an excuse to inflict some property damage. The glass shattered satisfyingly, but there was no immediate sign of a reaction from the vampires.

"HEY, DUMBASS VAMPS, GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE!" Leah screamed, her impatience with Bella and Edward's obliviousness reaching its limit.

Lelu's illusionary arts did have their limits, and Leaheventually managed to get through to Bella and Edward – after causing further damage to the cottage. Like a curtain falling down, the illusion lifted, and the vampiric lovers were finally allowed to see their situation, and their peril. They abruptly halted their love making and looked around the room in bewilderment.

"What's going on?" Where did this fire come from?" demanded Edward.

Bella quickly began putting her clothes back on, when she realized something that seemed to freeze her world around her. "NESSIE!"

Bella broke through the walls, not even bothering to use the hallway in her haste to reach her daughter. The wood splintered and gave way to her, unable to hold up against her strength. She gasped from reflex when she crashed through into Renesmee's room. It was already near consumed by the fire – most of her furniture and belongings were twisted and burnt. The fire cast a blood-red glow upon the walls and floor. Bella could almost feel the phantom of her heart hammering in her chest as she approached Renesmee's bed. Her hands shaking, she threw the bedding aside, but saw no sign of a tiny body. A brief search of the rest of the room gave Bella strong hope that her daughter was alive.

Edward ran into the room behind her, his pants back on and Bella's own clothes in hand. "Where is she?" he called.

"She must have already escaped! Let's go!" said Bella.

Bella and Edward broke through the walls and landed safe outside while the fire continued to spread. They quickly got dressed while the rest of the family arrived on the scene, Seth bringing up the rear.

Emmett took one look at the cottage and swore loudly. He turned and gave Bella an incredulous look. "I thought Rose and I were bad!" he cried.

"Renesmee's gone, have any of you seen her?" asked Bella.

"I never saw her leave the cottage," Leah said as she joined the others.

Bella did a double-take towards Leah, only then noticing her. "Thanks for warning us," she said slowly. Leah scoffed and threw up her arms.

"Why didn't we see the fire?" asked Edward.

Alice looked at the cottage and trembled slightly. "Something's not right here!" she cried. "Why didn't I see this!? I shouldn't have missed something this extreme!"

"Alice, calm down," Esme cried urgently.

"Everyone shut up a minute!" Jasper suddenly cried out.

Partly out of sheer surprise, everyone fell silent quickly. Now that she didn't have to listen over the other's voices, Bella could hear her the other sounds around her more clearly. Various animals scurrying through the forest, the fire continuing its ravenous consumption of her beautiful cottage, a car racing down Highway 101. The tortured squealing of the wheels was all that she needed to tell how fast they were going. They were breaking the speed limit and then some.

A feral roar ripped through her throat. Her daughter was the only thing on her mind as Bella crouched low, every muscle in her body coiling up to spring. Before anyone could stop her, she was crashing through the undergrowth and making a direct shot for Highway 101. The others wouldn't have stopped her even if they tried - Edward, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett and Alice all ran alongside her. Seth had shifted and was getting ready to follow, when Leah stopped in front of him in wolf form.

"_Seth, stay here!"_ cried Leah.

"_But Leah, I wanna-"_

"_STAY HERE!"_ Leah repeated. "_We have no idea what's out there, and I don't want you getting mixed up in whatever it is!"_

"Seth, please help Carlisle and I search for clues here," Esme offered gently. Seth looked back and forth uncertainly from Esme to Leah.

Before Seth could protest again, Leah bolted after the vampires, leaving him, Esme and Carlisle behind. Pushing her considerable speed to its limit, she gained on them rapidly. Jacob's huge form came up alongside her moments later. He couldn't keep up with Leah's top speed – a gap slowly formed between them. It took only a second for Jacob to get the impression of what had happened from Leah's mind, and then a wave of pure emotion spilled off of Jacob, nearly overwhelming Leah - rage, loss, despair. He wanted Renesmee back – he _needed_ her back. The center of his world had been snatched away from him.

Leah shuddered as she ran. Seeing Emily's face was all she had needed to learn that imprinting was dangerous. Now, feeling Jacob's intense emotions, she realized just _how_ dangerous it was. Jacob's desires would drive him to any length – go any distance, kill anyone who stood in his way - to be at Renesmee's side once again. He would do anything in his search for her. Most likely, whether she wanted it or not.

Leah shook her head and focused her attention on the vampires ahead – the last thing she needed was to lose her focus, then of all times. She had more immediate things to worry about.

* * *

Meryl snapped to attention at the sound of Eyal's cellphone ringing. It took him less then a second to answer it. Meryl sat upright and steeled herself, now certain that combat was unavoidable. _Why_ had she lit that damn fire?

Eyal was silent for several seconds. Meryl could make out Alexia's voice on the other end, but not her exact words. However, she could make an educated guess.

"Then it's time to fight," said Eyal. "Have Cessilia pull over." A few seconds later, he flipped his cellphone shut, and turned towards Alicia. "Pull over and let us off. The moment we're out, keep going. No matter what happens, you have to take the dhampir to Seattle." The car slowed down, though it took a little while; a testament to how fast they had been going. "And don't speed - the last thing we need is for you to get pulled over by the highway patrol," he added grimly.

"Yes sir," Alicia said. Meryl could see that her knuckles were white on the steering wheel.

Neither Eyal nor Meryl waited for the car to come to a complete stop – both leaped out onto the dirt the moment it had slowed sufficiently. They both landed cleanly, and quickly ran to join the others. Further down the highway were Alexia, Lelu and Aaron. Cessilia sped by in the rear car, leaving the disciples, Alexia and Eyal behind.

Meryl slipped a pair of thick leather gloves on, her eyes fixed on the westward horizon. She could already see the approaching figures. Aaron must have smelled the vampires coming – Meryl thanked the strength of Aaron's other four senses for the early warning. Aaron himself stretched and popped his knuckles, a wide grin fixed on his face. Lelu, too, was smirking as she skimmed through her playing cards thoughtfully.

Eyal stretched and flexed his arms. A number of heavy iron bands slipped from the top of his coat and into his wide sleeves. He rolled his neck along his shoulders once and stood motionlessly as the vampires approached.

Meryl bounced on her heels and shook her arms to relieve some of the tension. Were the vampires _deliberately_ approaching as slowly as they could?

"Try not to slay them. They can't provoke the Volturi if they're dead," she reminded the others.

Aaron laughed and stepped forward. "Ready for action, 'Burning Dove?'"

Despite the severity of the situation, Meryl grinned back at Aaron. "I dunno, are you sure you're not just a bit rusty, 'Thunder Wolf'?"

"Hey, what was your title, man?" Aaron asked as he waved one of his arms at Eyal.

"'Iron Kelev'," Eyal said without looking at Aaron.

"Maybe if you're lucky you'll have it back before the night's over!" said Aaron.

Alexia shook her head at him. "Don't be a fool," she snapped.

"If anyone else cares, I'm called 'Beguiling Seduction'!" cried Lelu.

"Yup, that fits you," Meryl said casually. Lelu grinned and planted her hands on her hips proudly.

"Don't forget; we need these vampires alive for now," said Eyal. "We're fighting to buy time for the rest of the squad to escape with the dhampir. Don't kill these vampires." The others nodded.

Moments later, the six vampires and two wolves came into view. They slowed to a stop at the sight of the five people before them, and regarded them with curiosity and outrage. The five hunters knew they would have to prepare for an attack - surprise was the only thing that gave pause to their enemies.

Rosalie almost immediately caught sight of Meryl. "YOU!" she cried as she shot Meryl a hateful glare.

Meryl laughed humorlessly and waved to Rosalie. "_Kon'nichiwa, _Rosalie-chan!"

Standing at Meryl's side, Lelu leaned forward and smirked at the vampires. "Looks like Feito brought us back together again!"

Bella pushed forward to the head of the group, barely-controlled rage evident on her face. "Where's Renesmee!? GIVE HER BACK!"

"Didn't your mommy ever teach you the magic word, Bella?" asked Meryl.

"Edward, who are they?" asked Jasper. "They look like humans, but there's something wrong about them." After a few seconds of silence, Jasper glanced at Edward out of the corner of his eye.

Edward's eyes were narrowed, but the look in them was pained. He was angry indeed – angry with himself. "I can't feel their minds," he eventually said in a thick voice.

His arms crossed, Aaron laughed coldly at Edward. "Your cheap tricks won't save you this time, Wardo," he said.

"We're a whole different game from Victoria and her pathetic newborns," added Alexia.

"Your powers are just as useless as the lot of you right now," cried Lelu.

"ENOUGH OF THIS! RETURN RENESMEE NOW!" Bella shrieked.

"Try and make us! You'll _never_ take her back!" Meryl screamed as she settled into stance.

Bella, seething with rage, bent over nearly double. She roared again and glared at Meryl, who readied herself for an imminent attack. Jacob ran forward instead of Bella, but Aaron – already in his wolf form – pounced on him before he was even halfway to Meryl. In a tumble of fur and fang, the two wolves rolled out of sight into the forest. Leah went to Jacob's aid, but the Cullens charged.

Meryl and Eyal ran to meet them, Alexia and Lelu remained where they were. Alexia knelt down and spread her arms wide. She Alexia uttered a brief chant, and a semitransparent dome of green energy shimmered into view around herself and Lelu. Lelu crouched as well, and laid out some of her playing cards on the ground.

After selecting one card and flipping face-down, Lelu looked up and grinned at Bella. "Weak-minded girl with a mental shield. How I love that irony, especially since Meryl being here strips you of that protection," she said to herself. With a laugh, she planted the palm of her right hand over the card she had chosen.

In the middle of the Cullen's charge, Bella abruptly stopped and began looking around, as if uncertain. Edward halted and turned to give his wife a inquiring look. "Bella, what's-" he began to say, when a jolt of pain shot through his stomach. Edward took a few steps backward, and doubled over, letting out a groan.

"Think you can take your attention away from your enemy!?" Meryl demanded.

Edward looked up at Meryl in bewilderment – how had she closed the distance to him so quickly? When he had turned to look at Bella she was still several yards away, and no human ran that fast. Shaking his head, he moved forward to return the favor. He would figure out the mystery of who – or what – Meryl was after defeating her.

Snarling like a beast, he swung at Meryl's chest unnaturally fast, but to his bewilderment Meryl crouched under the swipe. Reeling from his overextended attack, Edward could only glare down at Meryl. She smirked, balled her fist, and slammed it into Edward's face as she stood back up.

Edward stumbled backwards, one hand over his face. Through his fingers, he snarled at Meryl. "You – you're not a vampire! How can you be as fast as me?" he demanded.

Meryl took a step toward Edward to attack him again, when Alice slipped towards her. The look on Alice's face was almost uncharacteristically focused as she drove her hand towards Meryl's chest. With no time to do anything but react, Meryl tried to sidestep Alice's attack. Although she dodged Alice's strike, she stumbled. Her first attack going too high, Alice merely pivoted and stabbed towards Meryl with her other hand.

Meryl cringed and threw her arms over herself, already aware that she wouldn't be able to save herself. Alice gave Meryl the slightest of grins as her deadly lunge came closer – and struck a green barrier. The barrier rotated upward, knocking Alice away from Meryl. Meryl quickly flipped upright to continue her fight with Edward. There was no need.

His wife was keeping him occupied.

Bella swung wildly at Edward, an intense look in her eyes. Unwilling to attack his wife, Edward could only dodge her attacks and beg for her to stop. Bella ignored his pleas and continued her violent assault, as if unable to even hear him. Confused, Meryl glanced at Lelu, who gave Meryl a brief wink. With Edward busy, Meryl decided to repay Alice instead.

A few yards away in the forest, Aaron and Jacob's fight came to a halt. Aaron shifted back to human form and knelt. Jacob flinched, alarmed by Aaron dropping his guard. Rather than take advantage of the opening, he returned to human form as well. If nothing else, this was an opportunity to learn more about the people who had taken Renesmee from him.

Leah crashed through the foliage only moments later and paused to take in the scene. Realizing what was happening, she took on her human form as well, though she crouched low to preserve her modesty. She stared scrutinizingly at Aaron, confusing Jacob.

"Aaron, is that really you?" she asked.

Aaron turned towards Leah, as if trying to see her. After a moment, he grinned and stood up. "Haven't heard your voice in a long time, Leah. Can't say I ever guessed you'd become a wolf, too. I thought women weren't eligible." After a pause, he shrugged. "Guess it doesn't matter. What else is new?

"Only you," said Leah. "What're you doing here? Who are these people?"

Jacob glanced from Aaron to Leah, trying to comprehend a conversation he wasn't even a part of. "You know this guy?"

Leah frowned, but didn't look at Jacob. "Yeah, he was," she hesitated, "one of the earlier wolves. He was close friends with Sam until he," she stopped and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Until he broke your heart and slashed Emily's face open," Aaron said with a hard edge in his voice. "Wolfism made him into a monster – I wasn't about to stick around to see any more of it."

"He just ran off one night, not long after the Cullens vanished the year before last," said Leah.

Aaron crossed his arms and laughed. "I broke free of Sam; that's what I did! There's no order he can give me now," he cried.

"We've spent enough time catching up!" shouted Jacob. He pointed a shaking finger – somewhat pointlessly – at Aaron. "Your buddies kidnapped someone important to us. Give her back!"

"I have no idea who the hell you are, nor do I care," Aaron said casually. A moment later, however, he gave a start, and turned back towards Jacob. "'Follows a little girl around,'" he said slowly. "Did you imprint on the dhampir!?" he suddenly demanded.

"What the hell is a dhampir?" asked Jacob.

"A half-breed, half vampire, half human," Aaron said quickly, "Did you imprint on her?"

"Yes," Jacob said after a moment.

Aaron knelt low, growling. "Then I'll put my life on the line to keep her away from you. I've seen what imprinted wolves can do if they can't have their 'intended,'" he spat.

"I'll rip your throat out!" roared Jacob.

"Try it, fool. I've been a wolf much longer than you have," Aaron said quietly. He turned his head toward Leah. "Help him if you want, Leah. I'd rather not hurt you, but I'll give you a good fight if you want it."

All three returned to their wolf forms, and began circling each other. Jacob growled fiercely, his fur on end, but Leah and Aaron kept their cool.

"_I don't like this, Jacob. Let's hit hit him on both sides," _said Leah.

Jacob's only response was to roar and charge towards Aaron, fangs bared. Before Jacob even realized his lunge had missed, Aaron slipped away and batted him across the face with his claws. Mentally swearing at Jacob, Leah leaped towards Aaron. Sensing her approach, Aaron sank to the ground at the last moment, letting Leah fly over him and into Jacob.

Leah and Jacob both struggled to their feet. Jacob was bleeding lightly from his muzzle, but there was no serious damage, yet.

Jacob shook his head to try and clear out his mind. "_What the hell? He can't see! How'd he know to dodge?"_

"_I told you something was wrong about this," _said Leah. "_I'll take him from the left, you go right."_

Jacob kept his gaze on Aaron, but nodded. Slowly, the two wolves split apart and moved in opposite ways. Aaron remained where he was. He merely allowed Jacob and Leah to surround him, as if waiting for them. Once in position, Jacob narrowed his eyes at his enemy. An instinctive burst of nervousness shot through him. Aaron was so calm. What was he playing at?

* * *

Rosalie snarled and ran towards the dome that protected Alexia and Lelu, only to crash into another of Alexia's barriers on the way. She hissed and stepped back – only for the barrier to slide towards her, knocking her off her feet. She tucked into a roll and was back on her feet moments later, just in time to sidestep another approaching barrier.

She crouched low, growling. She had guessed immediately that taking out the two girls in the dome would be the key to winning the fight, but Alexia's barriers had halted her every attempt at an approach. She glanced around the battlefield, looking for anything that might help her.

Alice was still locked in combat with Meryl, neither girl managing to land a serious blow on the other. Edward, now getting desperate, sidestepped one of Bella's lunges and seized her by the arm. "Forgive me for this," he whispered. With his other hand, her aimed and struck at her shoulder. Rosalie winced at the horrible sound of crunching bone and vampiric sinew as Bella's arm was wrenched from her body. It fell to the ground with a dull thump. Gasping in pain, Bella fell to her knees, her remaining hand pressed to the stump of her arm.

In the midst of a lull in her fight with Alice, Meryl saw something dark swish across her view. A large black feather. Her breath catching in her throat, Meryl looked upward, and barely caught sight of Morrigan flying eastward. Her heart swelled with joy and relief. "Morrigan!" she gasped. "It's her!"

Alice dove in and Meryl hastily evaded her attack, very nearly losing her life over the brief distraction.

The sound of metal crunching and grinding distracted both girls. They turned and saw Emmett on his knees, Eyal standing over him.

"Damn, you're strong," said Emmett. "Maybe stronger than me. Are you sure you're not a vampire?"

"I'm what you see," said Eyal. "A man of metal."

Without missing a beat, Eyal turned and covered his midsection with his metal-braced arms, just in time to block a blow of Jasper's from behind. Eyal slipped his arms around and caught Jasper by the wrist. "I've been wondering when you'd show up, Jasper. You've been watching and measuring our skills for a while now," said Eyal.

Seeing his chance, Emmett leaped back to his feet and ran towards Eyal from behind. Before he could reach the Captain, one of Alexia's barriers appeared under his feet and swung upwards, flinging him towards Rosalie. Jasper now stood alone against Eyal.

Eyal's longcoat began to flutter slightly despite the lack of wind. Jasper caught sight of the strange phemonenon. Wrenching his hand free from Eyal's grip, Jasper leaped away. Less then a second later, a dozen foot-long metal blades shot out from within Eyal's coat, followed by another dozen foot-wide panels. The blades sliced through the air where Jasper had been standing, and then began to float quickly around Eyal, stopping only to briefly spin in place occasionally. The panels did the same, though more slowly than the blades. Jasper slid back and sank to his knees, his eyes narrowed upon Eyal and the metal objects surrounding him.

"I've been waiting for you, so I saved this trick," said Eyal.

"What are you? Vampires like us?" asked Jasper.

Eyal crossed his arms and frowned at Jasper. "No more questions, Jasper. Run back to your home and hide. We're not surrendering the dhampir."

Eyal pointed towards Jasper. One of the blades stopped, aimed at him, and shot off in his direction. Jasper reached for the blade, but it spun in mid-flight, piercing the palm of his hand. Jasper stared at his hand in shock as sharp pain shot up his arm. The blade was still wiggling around in his hand. Although the wound closed only a few seconds after Jasper pulled the blade out, it did nothing to ease his concern. He looked at the blade, which was struggling for release from his grip.

"That's not ordinary metal," said Eyal. "The Doctor managed to-"

"Too much information, Captain!" snapped Alexia.

Eyal closed his eyes and nodded. "Right, thank you Alexia."

His face expressionless, Eyal stretched his arm out towards Jasper, and all eleven of his other blades froze. As one, they turned and hurtled towards Jasper. Jasper threw the blade he held away and dived away from the incoming projectiles. The other eleven blades flew past him, harmlessly lodging into the highway. Jasper landed, slid slightly, and kicked off of the ground again, now launching himself towards Eyal. The twelve plates joined together and formed a wall between Eyal and Jasper. Jasper tried to punch through the metal, but to his amazement it held up against his superhuman strength. Instead of slicing through the shield, Jasper crashed into it.

The plates then separated just as quickly as they had joined together, and Eyal ran through the gap. The Captain swung his elbow towards Jasper's chest, but the vampire grabbed Eyal's arm and swung himself under it as it passed him. As he slid past Eyal, Jasper reached out and clawed at his abdomen. Jasper was met with hard, cold metal rather than soft flesh. Hissing, he regained his footing and tried to circle Eyal, but the plates moved to block him. Then they separated, and the blades shot through the breach. Jasper leaped aside, narrowly avoiding the blades – but not Eyal. The Captain ran forward and struck Jasper with his knee as the vampire avoided the metal blades. Jasper went flying, landed at a roll, and was back on his feet all in one motion.

Eyal paused to size Jasper up, and laughed. "Not bad! Most vampires would be in pieces by now."

Jasper watched the blades and panels, floating around Eyal once more. They were deadly and unpredictable, but the blades were too fast and had a tendency to bury themselves in objects when they missed their targets. the plates were somewhat slow and forced Eyal to fend for himself at times. Jasper could reasonably guess that Eyal was armored neck to toe beneath his clothing, but his head was exposed. Jasper knelt, his arms loose at his sides. Next time he would go for Eyal's neck.

Not far away, the sound of vampiric bone and muscle crunching and ripping echoed sickeningly across the battlefield. Bella screamed and snapped upright, breathing heavily. "W-what's going on?" she asked groggily. She looked down at the stump of her arm, shrieked, stumbled backwards. "My arm! What happened to my arm!?"

Edward caught her by the sides and helped her stand. "Don't worry, we can put it back on, it can heal."

Bella turned and glared at Lelu. "Her," she hissed. "I saw her running around, taunting me, then my arm," she paused, her eyes narrowing on her arm. Edward could almost _feel_ the anger rolling off of her. "Did she cut it off!?"

Edward said nothing. He had realized that his enemies had powers much like those of a vampire. Clearly, Lelu had made Bella hallucinate somehow. He growled and balled his hands. "That's right, she's to blame," he said thickly. It was because of _her_ that he had been forced to do what he did_..._

Without a word, Bella ran towards Lelu, screaming in rage. Rosalie saw Bella's attack, and touched Emmett on the shoulder. "Emmett, it looks like Bella's come to her senses," she whispered. "This is our chance."

"What've you got in mind?" asked Emmett.

"Run past them and catch up with their cars. If we can get Renesmee back this'll be over," said Rosalie.

"You mean leave the others behind?" demanded Emmett

"It'll be fine, Emmett," Rosalie said urgently. "We can catch up to the cars and be back in minutes. Jasper and Alice are holding their own – they'll be fine."

Emmett frowned, but nodded. "You always do the thinking. I'm sure you're right," he said slowly.

Within the barrier, Lelu caught sight of Bella's approach and looked hastily at her cards. She quickly broke out in a cold sweat. "No good, she's in too much pain," she said. "I'm not going to be able to put her in another illusion. I'll try Wardo instead."

Alexia set her jaw and created a number of barriers in Bella's way. Bella reached the first and was thrown back, but she quickly got back up. Growling with rage, Bella punched it, shattering it into fragments of green light. Alexia's eyes widened as she threw several more barriers at Bella. It took her a short while at times, but Bella inevitably broke through them. Slowly but surely, she drew closer to Alexia and Lelu.

"Damn newborn!" spat Alexia.

"The other two!" cried Lelu. She pointed hastily towards Emmett and Rosalie.

Alexia looked up, and cursed. Desparately, she raised a barrier in their path. Emmett grinned and lunged forward, as if to tackle someone. He punched a hole through the barrier and went on, Rosalie following behind him. The barrier closed up too late – they were long gone.

Meryl looked over her shoulder and saw Emmett and Rosalie's departure from the fight. "Dammit!" she cried.

Meryl turned to pursue them, but Alice leaped in her way. "Leaving so soon?" Alice cried, a smirk on her face.

"Get out of my way, you bitch!" shrieked Meryl. She swung her arms at Alice, but the pixie-like vampire dodges and moved closert o Meryl. Alice slowly forced her westward, preventing her from chasing Emmett and Rosalie. Meryl swore, and scanned the battlefield for some method of escape. Instead, she laid eyes on Bella, who was getting dangerously close to the dome.

Close to Lelu.

Meryl's eyes widened in horror as mental images of the sort of corpses vampires tended to leave behind flooded unwillingly into her mind. Alice seemed to notice Meryl's distress, and forced her away from the dome as well with a sweeping kick. Meryl fell backwards, cursing her foolishness for rushing the mission. She flipped up into a kneeling position, but Alice was already on the attack. Seeing the approaching vampire, Meryl wondered if this was how it was going to end for all of them.

Only feet away from Meryl, Alice froze on the spot, her eyes wide. Meryl quickly got to her feet, unsure what to make of Alice's bizarre behavior. After a few seconds of standing silently, Alice fell forward, hitting the ground with a dull thud. One of Eyal's blades was embedded into the back of her skull. The knife couldn't kill Alice, but vampires' bodies worked nearly the same as humans: Stop the nervous system and they're helpless either way. Eyal caught Meryl's eye and gave her a brief smile, before he focused his attention back on Jasper.

Seizing her chance, Meryl ran for the dome as fast as she could. Her gaze narrowed upon a single point – the spot where Bella would make contact with the shield protecting Lelu and Alexia. Bella finally made it to her goal and swung her fist back, her face contorted with murderous rage. Meryl forced herself to remain calm, and focused every fiber of her being into her next move. Without slowing, Meryl kicked off of the ground and launched herself towards Bella. She tucked in her right leg and kneed Bella in the side of the head with all her strength.

The impact sent Bella flying several yards before she finally skidded to a stop. Edward ran to help Bella up, the battle seemingly forgotten. "Bella, are you all right!?" he cried urgently.

Bella looked up at Edward, eyes glinting. With a snarl, she brought her remaining arm back and struck him across the face. Edward hit the ground, and simpley laid there. He looked up at his wife, a look of hurt disbelief on his face.

Bella got back on her feet quickly, but did little else for several seconds. She merely stared at Meryl and breathed heavily. With her dishevelled hair, bruised and dirtied body, and the livid look on her face, she looked very much the part of the feral vampires that Meryl knew so well. It almost shocked her at times, how easy it was to set vampires off.

Alexia threw down the dome surrounded herself and Lelu. In its place, she created a levitating disk-barrier beneath herself and Lelu. Without hesitation, Meryl leaped backwards onto the platform. "Captain, it's time to fall back and catch up with those two that slipped by us!" cried Alexia.

Without taking his eyes off of Jasper, Eyal nodded. He swung his arms wide, and every one of his knives and plates flung themselves at Jasper. While Jasper held back to protect himself, Eyal joined the others on the platform. Jasper knocked aside two of the plates, sidestepped four of the blades, reached to catch another out of the air – and missed, allowing the knife to slice into his arm. His right forarm fell uselessly to the ground.

Comletely baffled, Meryl narrowed her eyes on the vampire. Jasper dodged or stopped the remaining projectiles, and then craddled his ruined arm. How had he failed to stop that one blade? Behind Meryl, Lelu began to laugh. "Funny how badly a fight can turn against you. All it takes is for one knife to look just a little too far to the right."

Meryl turned and flash Lelu a smile. Lelu returned it smugly.

"Get down. I'm going to get us moving," said Alexia.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Meryl turned her gaze eastward – and her eyes shot wide.

"HAIL MORRIGAN!"

A massive fiery bird-shaped creature, shedding embers and dripping raw magma, approached from the east at extreme speeds. It performed a somersault as it passed over the battlefield, and crashed into the ground, kicking up a small inferno. A black human-shaped figure appeared and stood up in the center of the flames. The fire shrank down into Morrigan, and she perched on the human's shoulder. Aiden Brandon stood, and swept his gaze across the highway.

Again, the vampires paused, clearly surprised by Aiden's theatrically entrance. Jasper pulled Eyal's dagger from Alice's head, but did nothing more. Alice rose with a start, but Jasper calmed her and quietly explained what had happened to her.

Meryl felt so comforted to see Aiden that she nearly laughed from sheer exhileration. "You're fucked, vampires!" she cried. She pointed her slightly-shaking finger at the Cullens. "You don't have any hope at all now!"

Aiden glanced over his shoulder to Meryl, and he looked her over briefly. "Did they hurt you?" he eventually asked.

"No. I didn't give them the chance!" said Meryl.

Aiden nodded and turned his attention back on the vampires. "That's good," he said. "If they had even scratched you I'd put them all down," he added quietly.

"What's this, more of your friends?" demanded Bella. "Who are you people!?"

"Red Sage, two of the vampires got away!" cried Alexia.

"Don't worry. The Blue Sage and Disciples are waiting ahead," said Aiden.

Alexia sighed with relief, and Eyal nodded.

Aiden turned towards Lelu. "Where's Aaron?

"He's back there a ways," Lelu said as she gestured in the direction Aaron and Jacob had vanished. "He's probably finishing up the two wolves that were with these guys," said Lelu.

"Fine. In that case, go rejoin the cars. Our first priority is to get the dhampir back," said Aiden. "I'll finish things up here."

"Be careful brother!" Meryl cried. She leaped off of the barrier, and then turned back towards Lelu and beckoned. "Come with me, I'll fly us down the highway. It'll probably be faster than Alexia's barrier."

Lelu leaped down, but didn't quite meet Meryl's eyes. "Fly with you?" she asked, her voice wavering slightly.

"We'll be fine, go ahead," said Eyal.

Lelu turned and watched in desparation as the barrier sped off down the highway.

Meryl called up her fiery wings and grabbed Lelu around the middle. "Don't struggle too much," she said. Lelu nodded numbly.

Lelu took a few deep breaths to steady herself. The moment Meryl kicked off of the ground and took flight Lelu squealed in fear and shut her eyes tight. "Don't worry, I won't let you fall!" cried Meryl.

Lelu shuddered, but opened her eyes. "Hang on tight," she whispered.

Meryl nodded, and continued flying along the highway. Lelu eventually overcame her fear enough to look around. Vertigo seized her for a while, but it soon passed. The fear was replaced by a more wonderful feeling.

Flying so freely was exhilerating. The world passed them by so quickly – faster than most cards could run. Lelu wondered why Meryl didn't spend more time simply flying idly through the skies. Lelu realized how close they were, and blushed, very relieved that Meryl wouldn't be able to see her.

"The vampires won't know what hit them," Meryl said eagerly. "Aiden's going to show them what a real member of the Twelve Sides can do."

Lelu said nothing. She silently basked in her joy.

Meanwhile, Aiden stared silently at the Cullens. Morrigan glared at them with her beady eyes, and let off a single loud caw. The true battle was about to begin.

* * *

Sunspot, now with action!

Anyways, if you have any constructive criticism, please let me know :)

By the way, I'd like to hear if my foreshadowing on certain events was or is any good - if you have any theories, feel free to leave them in a review :D I'd like to see what you guys are expecting to happen next.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Sunspot**_

_Only a few months have passed since the Cullen's encounter with the Volturi, and Renesmee is growing with each passing day. However, she longs to explore the world and find her own destiny. Meanwhile, forever is looking considerably shorter when the winter incident provokes a mysterious organization lurking in the shadows to step into the light... Rated M for character death. Ye be warned._

Disclaimer: Twilight and its peeps belong to Meyer. Only the OC's belong to me.

Author's Note: Thanks again to Aviva Tsuion.

* * *

The first rays of the morning sun were shining through the windows as Adella stepped out of her room. Her hair, tousled from sleep, shimmered in the light as she walked down the halls of her home. Within moments, her assistants began to fuss about her, attempting to attend to her needs. One by one she sent them off, and made her way towards her garden.

Surrounded by her vibrant flowers, her breathed deep, taking in the morning air. She closed her eyes out of bliss. She was going to miss this feeling every day. No matter how much she might have wanted to, she couldn't delay any longer.

"Only the White is left. We cannot linger here much longer," she murmured.

Soft footsteps approached from behind. Adella turned and smiled at her visitor – Renate.

"Mistress, we received word from Miss Huihana a few minutes ago, but you were sleeping at the time," said Renate.

"Oh? What did Huihana have to say?" asked Adella.

"The mission to capture the Cullen's daughter is proceeding smoothly. She said they would have her back in Seattle within a few hours," Renate said dutifully.

Adella tilted her head just slightly and narrowed her eyes. "This soon? Why is Huihana involved? I only ordered Heng and Aiden to Seattle."

"Miss Huihana and Master Sergei went to Seattle with Masters Heng and Aiden." Said Renate. She hesitated and looked down at her feet. "And I-It seems that the Disciples went ahead of the Sages and found the girl. They did this at Miss Meryl's urging."

Adella sighed and shook her head. "I suppose I'll need to give Meryl a talking-to once I arrive," she said quietly.

Renate looked up quickly. "You're leaving, Mistress?" she asked.

"Yes, please contact Sabal and have him meet me in Los Angeles tomorrow," said Adella. She paused and looked upward briefly. "My own flight from Cardriff Airport will be departing in a few hours, so I'll need to get ready."

Renate nodded. "Very well, Mistress." She turned and took a few steps, but hesitated and looked back over her shoulder. "W-we'll all wait for your return, Mistress!" she called back. Before Adella could say anything else, Renate scurried away quickly.

Adella sighed and looked across her garden wisftully. "I will miss you girls, as well," she said softly.

* * *

Chapter Nine:

-Meryl

A terror like they never knew.

The wrath of the Red Sage...

* * *

The clouds above broke. A light sheet of rain began to fall over the northwestern corner of Highway 101, where Alice, Bella, Jasper and Edward Cullen were facing off with Aiden Brandon.

Only a few minutes had passed since the departure of the disciples, Eyal and Alexia. In that short space of time, a tense hush had settled upon the battlefield. There was very little movement on the highway – the slightest of sounds seemed almost unnaturally loud, even with the light rainfall.

The vampires stood back and watched Aiden warily. Aiden himself simply stared up at the rain, seemingly unconcerned with the vampires. Morrigan, however, glared at the Cullens. Alice caught sight of her and met her gaze. Morrigan tilted her head slightly, and her eyes flashed red for less than a second. A chill crept up Alice's spine and, she looked deliberately elsewhere. She glanced very briefly at Morrigan, and saw that the crow was staring at _her_ specifically.

This situation was very wrong...

Bella leaned closer towards Edward. "Edward, I can feel my shield again," she said. "What is he thinking about? Who are these people?"

Edward swallowed, and opened his mouth, his lips trembling just slightly. "He's blocking me out," he eventually whispered.

"That's not possible!" hissed Bella.

"It is," Edward said numbly. "I can read surface thoughts. If what he's thinking about isn't useful, then I can't get anything."

"What is he thinking about?" asked Alice.

Edward was silent for several seconds. Bella looked more closely, and saw stunned by the look in his eyes. They were distant and unfocused.

"He's thinking about how much he wants to destroy us," said Edward. "It's the only thing on his mind. Death, revenge, destruction."

Hearing Edward, Aiden began to laugh. His mirth was slow, cold and without humor. He looked down slowly at the Cullens. "You've got me, Monster. I would love nothing more than to put each one of you down. For the time being, I've got the four of you to myself."

Now that he was looking up, Alice could see his eyes. Unlike Morrigan, they were simply the eyes of an ordinary human. They weren't red, nor was there a slight glow in them. The moment Alice had tried to return her gaze, Morrigan had singled her out. This had given Alice the impression that Morrigan's stare was one of lofty scrutiny, as if to demand why Alice was challenging her. Aiden was different - his eyes were bright and eager. If anything, the look in Aiden's eyes was worse than that of Morrigan's.

Bella laughed, took a step forward, and smiled at Aiden. Alice could only wonder if Bella hadn't bothered to really look at Aiden. "You're just but one human. Get out of our way and return Renesmee," said Bella.

Aiden scoffed and cocked an eyebrow at Bella. "You've already seen what I can do and you call me 'just one human'," he said. He made a sound of disgust and looked upward. "Typical vampire arrogance. It makes the part where you beg for your lives a lot more gratifying."

Bella leaned back, her eyes narrowed on Aiden.

"Who are you? Are you a vampire?" asked Edward. "Why kidnap Renesmee? Where do you get your powers from, and who do you work for?"

After only a few seconds of waiting for a response that Aiden didn't seem interested in giving, Bella's patience wore itself out. Renesmee was in danger, and they were wasting time and allowing their enemy to control the discussion. "Say something!" she screamed. "Do you work for the Volturi!?"

"Enough playing around, Aiden," a raspier voice called out. Emerging from the shadows of the forest, Heng joined Aiden on the highway. "You're going to give away too much."

Aiden nodded without looking at Heng. "I was just waiting for you catch up. I suspected you wanted a shot at these vampires too."

Heng rotated his shoulders, his swords loose in his hands. "Well I appreciate the gesture, but we do need to move things along."

Bella looked briefly at Heng, and burst out in fits of cruel laughter. "So, some old man and his antique swords are going to save you?" she asked.

Aiden turned towards Bella, a look of stunned disbelief on his face. After a short time, he shook his head slowly and began laughing humorlessly. "My god, you are one hell of a stupid bitch, do you know that?"

Bella and Edward both were taken aback by the insult. They recovered their surprise quickly and leaned forward, fierce growls ripping through their throats.

"Look, allow me to make things clear for you," said Aiden. "Guan Heng here has been battling your kind for almost sixty years. You don't _get_ old in this line of work unless you're a serious badass."

"I was just lucky," said Heng.

"You're nothing but weak humans!" Bella screamed. "You can't fight against us, don't you know that!?"

Heng took a few steps towards Bella, his grip on his swords tightening. "Try me, little girl. If you can land a single blow I'll see your daughter returned to you," he said.

Bella screamed and charged towards Heng, her left arm outstretched. The very moment before she reached him, Heng twisted away from her deadly blow. He took a step forward, flicked one of his blades downward, and came to a stop behind Bella.

Coming to a quick stop, Bella looked down at her left arm and found it cleanly severed at the elbow. She stepped back unsteadily, her eyes wide and horrified. "W-what is this?" she asked, her voice wavering.

"Justice," said Aiden. He began walking forward.

Bella hunkered down slightly and stepped away from him, but he wasn't walking towards her. As he walked past Bella, she loosened up and crouched, readying herself to strike him from behind. She lunged – face-first into Aiden's fist. Without even turning to look, he had contemptuously backhanded her. Bella fell back, more stunned than hurt.

Edward roared in rage and charged towards Aiden. Morrigan cawed loudly, and flew onto the branch of a nearby tree. Aiden stood still and awaited him, grinning. Aiden grabbed Edward's outstretched hand and grappled with him. The Red Sage took a step forward, forcing Edward back, and began squeezing. Edward's hands buckled under the pressure, and began to give off a crackling groan.

Edward winced at Aiden, unwilling to give up. "What are you!? How are you this strong!?" he demanded.

Aiden grinned back and leaned in closer. "Better," he said.

Aiden spread his arms wide, forcing Edward's apart and pulling him in closer – into Aiden's knee. Edward doubled over, reeling from pain. Aiden released Edward's hands and with his left hand struck a blow to the side of Edward's head. Edward was sent sprawling to the ground.

While Bella and Edward struggled to their feet, Aiden took a moment to look around. Heng was occupied with Alice and Jasper. The two vampires circled him warily. Neither one appeared particularly eager to come within range of Henge and his swords. Aiden grinned and turned back towards Bella and Edward. The other two were right to be careful around Heng.

Edward was already on his feet, and lunged once again towards Aiden. Aiden sidestepped the blow, but Edward came to a stop just a moment later. Edward pivoted and swung towards Aiden. Aiden grinned, took a step back, and punched Edward in the stomach. Edward gasped reflexively and doubled over, his swing going just barely short of Aiden's face.

Edward glared at Aiden and snarled through his teeth as he slowly straightened up. Aiden grabbed Edward by the throat and dropped to one knee, smashing him into the ground. Aiden then leaned forward, elbow-first, into Edward's neck.

Edward grabbed Aiden and tried to force him away. The Red Sage simply grinned back down at him. No matter how hard Edward tried, he couldn't push Aiden of off himself.

"You vampires rely so much on your natural advantages," said Aiden. "What happens when somebody shows up that's your equal? What do you have then?"

Bella snarled from a short distance away. Aiden rolled his eyes as he turned and saw her, charging fangs-first towards him. "Certainly not skill or subtlety," he muttered.

Aiden swept his leg across Bella's feet, sending her flipping over herself. Grinning, Aiden leaped off of Edward and back up to a kneeling position. Edward began to get up, only for Bella to come crashing down on top of him.

Aiden stood back up, and watched as the vampire untangled themselves. "You'd be dead right now if you weren't needed," he said. Aiden scoffed in disgust. "Neither of you are worth my time."

Some distance away, Jasper darted in, coming just shy of Heng's blades. Rather than pushing the attack, Heng took a step back, and blocked a swipe to his back. He stepped left and turned right, so as to see both of his foes. Alice had already pulled away, but Jasper was on the attack. Heng sidestepped Jasper's lunge and angled one of his swords as if to stab him. Jasper leaped backward again, and Alice came at him from the side. Heng swung his arm out, flipped his sword around, the blunt edge toward him, and then pulled his arm back in. Alice's eyes widened in brief surprise, and she only barely stopped herself from running directly into Heng's slice. Her own power had narrowly saved her from begin cut in half.

Heng pressed his advantage and swung around on his heel towards Alice. Before she could leap away, Heng stepped forward and plunged his sword through her abdomen. Alice immediately looked down in horror - her legs dangled uselessly beneath her. Heng pulled his sword free, and Alice fell to the ground limply. Heng turned and walked away as Alice pulled at her legs, as if to will some life back into them. From behind, someone roared in fury. Heng turned and crossed his blades, blocking Jasper's vengeful attack.

"What did you do to her!?" he demanded. All strategy was gone – he pushed forward. Heng was forced back a step, but manages to otherwise hold his stance.

"I severed her spine, and cut the nerves with it," said Heng.

Jasper snarled, and forced himself forward. "I'll kill you for hurting her!"

Heng leaned to the side and pulled his swords away, allowing Jasper to push past him. Jasper's momentum carried him too far, but he managed to turn and swipe blindly at Heng before he fell. His hand struck home. For one brief moment, Jasper was certain he had won, but his claws simply scratched harmlessly against Heng's side. It was different from when he had hit Eyal's armor; he had definitely hit human skin, but it didn't give to his attack. His desperate move a failure, Jasper fell over onto his wife.

He began to get up, but Heng sliced off both his feet with a single swipe of his swords. Jasper looked up at Heng and glared. "What are you?" he demanded. "Your stomach should have been ripped open!"

"You haven't noticed yet that each of us carries a certain power?" asked Heng. "This is mine:_ Shí tǐ_ - Stone Body." He patted himself on the arm, resulting in a hard thudding sound. "Not even a vampire can cut me."

"Then why did you bother avoiding our attacks?" asked Jasper.

"Not doing so would have been foolish," Heng said. He left the broken vampires behind, and turned his attention upon Aiden's fight as Jasper and Alice struggled to get back up without success.

* * *

Several miles up the highway, Meryl and Lelu were flying quickly to catch up with Rosalie and Emmett. Once Meryl was certain that Lelu could handle it, she had dived lower and pushed herself to her stop speed. The road below quickly sped past them, and they overtook Eyal and Alexia by the time they were all halfway to Lake Crescent, but the cars and the vampires were still ahead.

Lelu craned her neck to see Meryl better. "Aren't Huihana and Sergei waiting up ahead?" she asked. "Why are you so worried?"

"I'd rather apologize for not trusting them than to risk letting those two vampires catch up to Eyal's squad," said Meryl. She narrowed her and sped up a little. "Wouldn't you?"

"True," muttered Lelu. She tried to keep her gaze fixed on the horrizon; seeing how fast the road beneath her was passing them terrified her.

Finally, after a few minutes of flying at a break-neck pace, they could see the two vampires ahead. Rosalie and Emmett ran like a gale, and were slowly but surely gaining on the pair of cards ahead of them. Both vehicles were being pushed to their top speed, but that could only delay the inevitable.

"Meryl, toss a fireball at them or something!" cried Lelu.

"It would snuff out long before reaching them," said Meryl. "Do you think you could put them in an illusion?"

"No. I have to be able to concentrate for that to work," said Lelu.

Meryl swore, and strove harder to reach the vampires, her fire wings flapping frantically. "We have to catch them!" she cried.

On the road, Emmett looked backward over his shoulder and caught sight of Meryl. "Damn, they can _fly_ too?" he shouted. "I wish one of us could do that..."

Rosalie rolled her eyes and checked the skies behind them as well. She grit her teeth and pushed herself to run faster. "Try and catch us, 'Nanoha'," she muttered. "We should be able to reach their cars before before those two reach us."

Emmett nodded and matched Rosalie's speed. "You sure about leaving the others behind?" he asked.

Rosalie stared determinedly at the road, and in so doing avoided Emmett's gaze. "We have to get Renesmee back!" she cried. "This is all for nothing if these guys get away with her!"

She felt her throat tighten. "Besides... the others will be okay. I'm _sure_ of it!" She looked at Emmett. She felt immensely thankful that he was there with her.

The alternative was having him back with the others, fighting whatever the hell those people were...

* * *

Several miles ahead, Sergei was fuming on the side of the road. The rain seemed to be worsening. Despite growing up in some of the worst winters in the world, rain still annoyed him. He wished that Heng could have found a way to follow Aiden without taking their only car with him.

He looked at Huihana. The Blue Sage was close to the lake, but she wasn't paying it any attention that moment. Instead, she was in the middle of a conversation with Max on her cell phone. "Don't worry; we'll be able to stop them at the lake. Just keep going a little further." A short pause. "If it comes to that then we'll save you. You'll be fine."

After a brief moment a silence on her part, Huihana bade Max goodbye and closed her cell phone up with a sigh. She turned and gave Sergei a weak smile. "They're just a little worried."

"I guess even the Special Squads have some new members in them," Sergei muttered, shrugging. "Just don't screw this up, Huihana."

Huihana nodded shakily, and then turned towards the lake. Sergei watched her for a few moments. The Blue Sage didn't notice him – she was busy examining the lake. Sergei turned to watch the road. Along the bend of the highway, he could easily see the headlights of the two approaching cars.

"The cars are almost here!" cried Sergei.

"This will be fine," Huihana said softly. "There's enough water here."

Huihana quickly turned back towards the highway. She paused to steady her breathing and calm herself. "Okay, it's time," she whispered, just as much for her own benefit as for Sergei's.

Huihana breathed out and swung her arms high, and then exhaled and swung them out at her sides. She kicked her left leg out and leaped slightly, causing her skirt to flutter likes waves. She landed from her jump and twirled, her arms trailing along behind her. Her spin whiped her damp hair around, spraying a small stream of water. She paused, breathed in deeply, and spread her arms again. Her dance started slow but hastened as she went through her paces.

Huihana's eyes were closed and her expression was peaceful, but Sergei knew better then to think Huihana's dance was easy on her. Manipulating a large body of water required motion from Huihana's own body, and it took a very exact sequence of movements to achieve a specific outcome. She had tried to explain it to Sergei once before, but he quickly lost track. He did understand, however, that Huihana's dance, once complete, would allow her to easily manipulate all of the water in the lake. He sighed and shook his head - at times like this he had no choice but to respect Huihana's skill.

Occasionally, Sergei turned to look at the lake water. When Huihana began her dance, the surface of the lake had changed from calm to unsteady. As Huihana's dance increased in pace, and the water began to churn all the more fiercely. Near the end of her dance, Huihana's face began to contort in focus. By contrast, the movements of her body became more limber and fluid. Abruptly, she stopped. Despite being soaked with sweat and rain and surely tired from her ritual, she smiled. It always seemed to Sergei that Huihana was most in her element after completing her dances.

When Huihana's dance ended, the water stopped moving with her. The volatile roiling had turned into a tense motionlessness. Only a few moments later, the pair of cars passed. The Blue Sage and Disciple could easily see the vampires ahead. Rosalie and Emmett were nearly upon them.

Huihana nodded and stepped forward, waving her arms from her right to her left side. The water began to move again. It pulled away from the lake shore, and gathered itself some distance out into the lake. The water began to take on a new shape, changing from a simple mass of water to a wave as it surged ahead. The massive wave rushed towards the highway, carrying with it monumental force.

There was no way Rosalie and Emmett could miss it. Rosalie scoffed at the wave and pushed forward. "Idiots. Do they seriously think getting us a little wet will hurt us?" she demanded, grinning darkly at the pair of cars just ahead.

Her smugness was quickly destroyed when the damp highway underfoot turned to ice. Rosalie and Emmett fell forward just as the wave crashed over them. The pair of vampires were swept in a deluge of water across the highway. Sergei laughed victoriously and planted a hand upon the water. In a flash, the water froze into a sheet of ice, tapping Rosalie and Emmett beneath it. The vampires were unharmed but unable to move. In his chilled prison, Emmett strained to break free, but found the ice impossible to crack. Even _his_ strength couldn't break through the ice when it was impossible for him to move.

As Huihana leaned against the highway guard railing and caught her breath, Sergei sauntered towards Rosalie and Emmett. Grinning, he knelt down over the spot where they were frozen. "Hey, can you hear me down there, vampire scum?" he asked loudly. "Let this be a lesson not to fuck around with us. The dhampir is ours. You'll never see her again. Chill out there for a few hours until the ice thaws, all right?"

Despair swept over Rosalie. She'd failed. These people were going to get away with Renesmee; she'd let Renesmee - her Nessie - down. She wanted to scream, she wanted to rage and threaten Sergei with every colorful word she knew.

But the ice wouldn't let her do even that.

Sergei laughed and stood back up. "Cool, see you later," he added as he walked back over to Huihana.

She smiled at him as he approached. "Did I do okay?" she asked.

Sergei growled and looked determinedly away from Huihana. "Not bad," he eventually muttered.

Huihana slowly smiled and laughed. "I'll take that as a major compliment."

At that moment, Meryl swooped in and set Lelu down on her feet. Lelu immediately staggered over to Huihana and leaned on her. "Air travel is very frightening," she sad shakily.

Meryl landed a few feet ahead. She immediately turned and looked at the ice formation. Coming closer, she peered down at Rosalie and Emmett beneath the ice. "Nice one," she said approvingly.

"Looks like you guys had all the fun," said Lelu. She walked – still a little unsteadily – over to Meryl's side, and bent low over the ice. "Hi, Rosalie and Emmett! Looks like this was all part of _feito_ too!" she crooned.

Meryl scowled at Lelu and lightly whacked her in the back of the head. "This isn't the time to taunt them," she growled.

"What's next, Huihana?" asked Sergei.

Huihana pushed herself off of the guard rail and straightened up. "Heng has our ride, so we don't have much choice aside from waiting for him to come back this way," she said. She paused and glanced at Meryl. "Meryl, would you mind flying ahead and helping Eyal's squad? I don't think they'll be in any danger, but I'd rather play it safe."

"No problem," Meryl said as she spread her wings once more.

"I'll wait here for Heng," Lelu volunteered hastily.

Meryl shrugged, fanned her wings slowly. "Suit yourself," she muttered.

She was about to take off, when she caught one last look at the vampires below. Seeing Rosalie and Emmett, trapped in the ice, she couldn't help but pity them. She shut her eyes tight and turned away from them, surprised with herself. She had spent nearly her entire life training to slay vampires and here she was feeling sorry for a pair of them.

"My word might not mean anything to you," she said slowly, "but I promise she won't be harmed. If nothing else, _I'll _protect her."

Sergei turned and gave her an exasperated look. Huihana's expression was quizzical. Lelu nodded and smiled at her. Meryl paused briefly, grateful that at least Lelu understood why she had said what she did. Without another word, she flashed Lelu a brief small, and took off into the sky.

* * *

Leah leaped from behind, sure that she would strike Aaron this time. The other wolf's ear gave the slightest twitch, and Aaron sprang forward, twisting around in midair. Leah hit the ground with a crash, and Aaron was upon her in seconds, snapping at her face and neck. Leah got back on her feet quickly, but not quickly enough. Before she had a chance to defend herself, one of Aaron's attacks slipped through, and she received a light bite to the muzzle before she could pull away. She had escaped, but to her alarm, her body began to feel numb.

Aaron moved forward to attack her again, when Jacob tackled him from the side. Leah tried to come to Jacob's aid, but her movements were inexplicably sluggish. Instead, Leah looked down at herself, scared for what was happening to her. Had Aaron caused that much damage with just one bite? She looked back up at Aaron and Jacob. She had known something was wrong about their foe, but she was only now beginning to realize just _how_ wrong it was.

Jacob's paw batted Aaron in the face, but not strongly enough. Aaron ignored the blow and bit down on Jacob's shoulder, causing him to howl in pain. Jacob fell to the ground, his limbs twitching slightly.

_"Leah, I can't feel my legs!"_

A shiver ran down Leah's spine. What had Aaron become in just a little over a year? Despite her apprehension, she stood firm and struggled to master the numbness in her body. She wouldn't let his stop her. She bared her teeth, and charged down on Aaron. Aaron turned and leaped away as she approached, but she had expected this. The moment he began to move, Leah leaped as well and swung around so that she would be facing his side. With all her speed – her one trump card amongst her pack – she darted forward and bit down on Aaron's front leg. It was with satisfaction that the coppery taste of blood began to fill her mouth.

Howling and enraged, Aaron twisted around, flinging Leah away from his body. Before she could pull away, he caught her leg firmly in a bite of his own. A tingling feeling spread from Aaron's bite and into Leah's body. The tingling faded, but the numbness returned, stronger than ever. Leah quickly lost all feeling in her legs and collapsed onto her belly. Aaron easily pulled away from her and loomed over her. Unable to move, Leah merely glared up at him – and he walked away.

_"Leah, what happened?" _asked Jacob.

_"He got me. I can't move either," _said Leah. She tried to get back on her feet, but they wouldn't obey her instructions. _"Damn, what is this!?"_

"Seems the two of you are done. Do you want to know how it was that I beat you?" asked Aaron. He was back in his human form. He paused to tie a strip of clothing to bandage the wound Leah had given him. Once he finished, he squatted and smirked at Leah and Jacob. "They call me the 'thunder wolf' for more than just one reason. Pop quiz, Jake, how does the brain work? _Electrical_ impulses! I can use my power to put some extra juice into my nervous system, jacking my reflexes to beyond the level of a wolf or vampire."

Aaron crossed his arms and chuckled before going on. "Using that same power a little differently, I can screw up the impulses in your body. Your legs won't work if the brain can't send the zap to tell them to move, right? It's really not so tricky; it's just brain surgery, after all."

With a sigh, he got back on his feet. "I've spent too much time dealing with the two of you. I expect we'll meet again, so see you then," he said. Waving goodbye to the helpless wolves, Aaron turned away and ran back towards the Highway.

On the ground, Jacob thrashed wildly, determined to stand. Leah could only flinched as Jacob's emotions threatened to consume her once again.

Renesmee was gone, beyond their reach...

* * *

Thunder echoed distantly as the rain worsened.

Morrigan tilted her head and observed the fight carefully from her lofty perch. Edward hit the ground once more, but this time, he stayed down. Aiden scoffed at his fallen foe and turned his attention back to Bella. "Looks like your boyfriend's just about spent, how about you?" he asked.

Bella simply snarled and ran for him once more, her fangs bared. Aiden caught her by the throat and held it tight. "Guess not," he said as he forced Bella down to her knees her by neck. "So, anything else to say, vampire? Still think I'm an insignificant human?" Bella sputtered angrily and squirmed, but couldn't break free.

Edward howled in rage and got back to his feet. Aiden glanced over his shoulder, his face contorted in rage. "Stay down, you moron!" he his free hand, he reached out at Edward. "I'm finished toying with you!"

With a wave of Aiden's hand, four red circles appeared in midair, surrounding Edward. The circles were inscribed with complex line structures and letters, and it took only a second for Edward to realize he couldn't make heads or tails about what they meant. Edward halted and looked around, as if trying to decide which direction was the best to escape from. Before he could decide, the circles glowed red, and streams of raw magma began to seep out of them. Edward cried out in shock and leaped away quickly, but the molten fluid still caught him slightly, immediately catching him on fire.

Bella struggled as hard as she could, squirming and writhing to escape from Aiden, but couldn't get free. She could only watch helplessly as Edward rolled on the highway to put himself out. He was screaming in pain all the while.

Aiden turned his attention back on Bella. "If there's one thing I know about vampires, it's that a good old fire is one of the few things that wretched regeneration of yours can't do a thing about," he said.

Bella looked up at him and snarled, but he simply laughed and squeezed her tighter by the throat. "Yes, vampire bitch, let it all out. Glare and make noises like an animal at me. I've seen it all before. You creatures are more beast than human. You're beaten, and your daughter is coming with us!"

Bella's expression twisted in pain and hatred. Aiden leaned in closer, grinning wide. "Can you feel it now, Bella!? Pathetic rage and helpless despair!?" he demanded. "That's exactly the same sickening feeling that countless humans across this planet face every day! Now you know their _pain_. _Now_ you know what it feels like to have to watch as monsters break the people you love!"

He leaned even closer, but he was no longer grinning. His expression seemed halfway between a grin and a frown. He was impossible to read. "Let's put a mark on that pretty face of yours since you're too stupid to stay down. Maybe this will teach you a lesson about behaving like a self-righting toy," he whispered.

Aiden snapped his fingers, and his the fingertips of his left hand erupted in small flames. Staring into her eyes, he pressed his five fingers firmly upon Bella's face. Pain seared through her the moment they touched. Even though he still held her throat tight, Bella managed to force out a blood-curdling scream. The rest of her body contorted in pain, but she still couldn't escape Aiden's grip. The fires quickly snuffed out, and Aiden withdrew his hand, five ugly, black burn marks in their place on Bella's face. Aiden threw her contemptuously to the ground, where she writhed in agony.

"Not so pretty anymore, are we?" he asked as he turned to rejoin Heng. Morrigan floated down and landed on her usual perch on Aiden's shoulder. Thunder boomed once again. The sky lit up for just a second.

Not far away, Edward was sprawled on the road as well. The flames had gone out, but he was motionless from the pain they caused him.

Heng sighed and glared briefly at Aiden. "Sadistic kid," he muttered to himself. He turned to Alice and Jasper and nodded to the pair. "That's enough of this. We're leaving," he said.

"What are you talking about?" asked Jasper.

Guan Heng sheathed his swords and gave Jasper a hard look. "The six of you are defeated. Accept your loss gracefully."

"Not without Renesmee!" shrieked Alice.

Heng had already turned his back on the two and began walking towards Aiden. "If you wish to take her back, then you should focus on staying alive first!" he called back to them.

Aaron came crashing through the forest just moments later. He briefly scanned the battlefield, and grinned upon recognizing Heng. "I didn't expect to see you here, Old Man," he said. He laughed and ran over to Heng's side. "What took you so long to make it to Washington?"

"I can't move as fast as the rest of you kids," said Heng. "You shouldn't be relying on me in any case. I could pass on at any moment."

Aaron laughed again and clapped Heng on the shoulder. "Are you kidding, Old Man? You're strong as an ox!" he said. "You'll probably live to be a hundred and seventy at the rate you're going! I'll be surprised if you check out before I do."

"Enough foolishness, Aaron!" snapped Heng. "I didn't train you just to bury you!"

Aaron flinched and withdrew his hand. "Sure thing, Boss," he said.

Aiden watched the duo with his arms folded. "We're leaving?" he asked.

"Yes, the fight's done. We have what we came for," said Heng.

Aiden walked towards Alice and Jasper, and glared down at them. "The other two aren't in much condition to hear this, so I'll tell you. We're letting you live today because Aro still desires some of you. We're just the messengers – the Volturi will be here to visit you shortly."

Alice gaped up at Aiden. "W-what are...? You work for the Volturi!?"

"You have a choice to make, Cullens," Aiden continued. "Your first option is to gather your friends, endanger their lives, and put up a fight. Your other choice would be to accept death and keep them safe." He grinned and spread his arms wide. "I'm looking forward to seeing your decision! We'll keep the girl for the time being."

Aiden turned and nodded to Aaron and Heng. "All right. I'll see the two of you back at Seattle," he said.

"Wait!" cried Jasper.

"Give her back!" demanded Alice.

Ignoring them, Aiden touched his pet crow on the head. "Come on, Morrigan," he said. With a caw, Morrigan erupted in flame, which spread over to Aiden himself. With a kick off the ground, he took the form of a blazing crow and flew ahead back to Seattle.

Edward crawled to his feet and stared at Bella. Fear like never before, not since the girl's days as a human was writhing inside of him. Fear and helplessness. He cried with rage and slammed his first into the road, cracking it clean in half. Bella stared at Aiden as he flew away. He would soon be gone, beyond her reach.

And so would her little girl...

"Renesmee!" she cried, weakly.

"C'mon, Bella, let's get you up," Alice said softly. She limped over to the couple, her spine mostly healed. "Let's – let's go home."

"We have to go after them," said Bella.

"No, not like this. Not in this shape," said Jasper. He was still on the ground, and was busy attempting to reattach his feet. "Once I can move, I'll run ahead and find Rosalie and Emmett. Edward, Alice, get Bella back to the house."

Alice and Edward pulled Bella back to her feet. The newborn was already thrashing against them to pursue the fleeing vampire hunters. "And keep an eye out for Bella's arms, all right?" Jasper added.

* * *

Adella narrowed her eyes at Arshaka, with whom she was holding a video conference. Unlike Adella, the Black Sage sat at ease, and was giving her a pleasant grin. "I just got a call from Huihana," he said. "The dhampir is ours and is on the way to Seattle. The sages, disciples and Squad Six have returned from the battle and will be here within two or three hours."

"What of the vampires? Was there a fight?" asked Adella.

"There was, but it was over quickly. Our guys maimed a few of the vampires, but they'll live," said Arshaka.

Adella nodded and looked down at her keyboard. "The dhampir is important to these Cullens. Now that we've taken her from them they will very likely do something to anger the Volturi," she said quietly.

"And then we move in to wipe them all out," Arshaka concluded, grinning.

"Yes," Adella said after a while. She looked back up and stared purposefully at Arshaka. "Arshaka, I want the disciples and sages withdrawn from Seattle as soon as they arrive. You, Lelu, Aaron, Heng, Sergei and Huihana are to book flights to Los Angeles on the double. Aiden and Meryl are to bring the little girl here by one of our helicopters."

"Private air? Makes sense: can't bring the little girl on a plane with them," said Arshaka.

"I spoke with Eun-mi earlier today. She and Mafuane should arrive in Los Angeles in a few hours," said Adella. "Sabal and I will be there ourselves a while after that."

Arshaka's eyes went wide briefly, but he straightened up and grinned, all surprise gone just as quickly as it had appeared. "So we'll all be together, excellent!"

"That's all," said Adella. "I'll speak with you again soon."

Adella cut the conference off on her end without waiting for Arshaka to say anything. With a sigh, she got to her feet and left her room behind. "Things are going smoothly so far," she muttered. "I suppose Diamond will come to see us soon."

Her assistants were waiting with her luggage when she stepped outside. Thanking them once more, she got into the back seat of the car they had prepared. Adella leaned back comfortably in her seat as her quiet trip to the airport began. It was time for the leader of the Twelve Sides to step onto the stage.

* * *

Check back for the next Sunspot, which will include 100% less action and 42% more plot :p

No, really. Fight's over for now.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Sunspot**_

_Only a few months have passed since the Cullen's encounter with the Volturi, and Renesmee is growing with each passing day. However, she longs to explore the world and find her own destiny. Meanwhile, forever is looking considerably shorter when the winter incident provokes a mysterious organization lurking in the shadows to step into the light... Rated M for character death. Ye be warned._

Disclaimer: Twilight and its peeps belong to Meyer. Only the OC's belong to me.

Author's Note: Thanks again to Aviva Tsuion.

* * *

In the back seat of Alicia's car, Meryl sat, Renesmee tightly wrapped in her arms. Meryl silently watched Renesmee sleep, her own thoughts wild and confused. She had expected the mission to go off so smoothly; grab Renesmee and return to Seattle. It was supposed to be a simple job and the right thing to do for a little girl who wasn't allowed to embrace the human half of her heritage. The Cullens' interference and their determination to get Renesmee back had shaken Meryl's certainty. She couldn't deny that they did love Renesmee in their own way, and Renesmee herself surely felt the same.

Being snatched away from her family was definitely not something Renesmee was going to thank the Third Generation for, no matter how good their intentions might have been.

Meryl glanced at Aiden out of the corner of her eye. Her brother had caught up with the two cars roughly twenty minutes after Meryl herself did. Alicia pulled over without hesitation to let Aiden in and Max had looked relieved to have the Red Sage with them, but Meryl only found herself wishing that Aiden had chosen to ride in the other car. That had been only five minutes ago, and after a brief hello to Meryl, Aiden had been completely silent. Morrigan wandered around on the seat between them, pausing occasionally to look at either of the siblings.

"H-how did it go, Aiden?" asked Meryl.

Aiden groaned and threw up his hands. "Those stupid vampires didn't know when to quit," he muttered. "They were stubborn despite being so weak. I'm not surprised they were able to press you and the others."

"What did you end up doing with them?" asked Meryl, now with a slight edge to her voice.

"I charred Edward a little and put some burn-marks on Bella's face, but they'll both live," said Aiden.

Meryl shut her eyes tight. "Did you _have_ to do that to them?" she asked.

"It was the best way to stop them without killing them," Aiden said indifferently. "We do what we have to do, Meryl."

Meryl sighed and turned away. "I know, I know."

Meryl felt a rough hand pat her shoulder gently. Despite herself, she turned and saw Aiden smiling at her. "Lecture's over for now," he said. "How have you been doing?"

"Same as ever," said Meryl.

"How's your training coming along?" asked Aiden, his tone a little more urgent than it had been.

"I haven't been practicing much recently. I've been busy working with Lelu," Meryl said slowly.

Aiden's eyebrows inched together for a moment, as Meryl had expected. "Don't slack off too much, Meryl," he said. "Mom wouldn't-"

"Not right now, Aiden, _please_," Meryl said urgently.

"I'm just saying that it'll be your job to replace me one day," Aiden said patiently. "It's up to you to succeed Mom."

"I _know_, you won't let me forget it," Meryl snapped. She noticed that Max and Alicia were both starting pointedly at the road. Obviously neither one wanted to get involved.

"All right, all right, I'll leave you alone," Aiden said hastily. He turned and stared through his window again. "I don't see why you get so testy whenever I bring this up," he muttered quietly.

Meryl heaved a sigh and looked down once again at Renesmee. Meryl envied the little girl. She wished she could be sleeping too, without a care in the world.

* * *

Chapter Ten:

-Meryl

The hours after,

the twelve come together...

* * *

Only an hour had passed since Renesmee's kidnapping, and Seth and Esme had spent all that time carefully examining what was left of the cottage for any sort of clue. Unfortunately, they found nothing of any use. This didn't actually surprise either of them – they both realized before they even started that any evidence was probably destroyed when the cottage was burned down.

Seth was just about to give up his examination when he heard a number of approaching steps. He could recognize those light footfalls anywhere. He eagerly ran out to greet the returning Cullens, but stopped dead in his tracks the moment he actually saw them. All of them were trudging along slowly, Edward's clothes were badly burned and Bella was even missing her arms. He could immediately guess how the fight had gone.

Then, he realized that Jacob and Leah were not among them, and immediately went into a panic. "What happened!? Where are they!? Where're Jake and Leah!?" he cried.

The Cullens walked by, completely ignoring his question. Seth watched them continue on towards the house with baited breath, as if he expected one of them to stop and give him the answer he needed. Overlooked and dejected, he realized he had no choice but to go search for his packmates himself. He hastily shifted into his wolf form and ran into the woods, desperately searching for any sign of his sister and alpha.

Meanwhile, Esme joined the rest of her family in front of the house. She froze, her heart breaking at the sight of her family. "You all look so terrible," she whispered. "Renesmee?" she asked hesitantly.

Without a word, Bella turned and walked alone towards the burnt-down ruins of her cottage. Her face was devoid of all life or expression. The others silently went inside the main house, one after another. Alice and Jasper led the way. Alice looked troubled, her eyes were fixed upon the ground, while Jasper merely scowled at the room in front of him. Emmett half-dragged Rosalie inside while whispering comfortingly to her. Rosalie's vacant eyes made it look like she was only vaguely aware of what was going on around her. Esme watched them all enter the main house, her heart heavy, until only she and Edward were left alone outside. Edward, simply stared off into the distance, towards the ruins of the cottage.

"I'll go to her," Esme whispered. "Get some rest, Edward."

Edward nodded numbly, and plodded into the house. With Edward inside, Esme walked toward the cottage. She could remember how she helped build it. She remembered the first time Bella held Renesmee, the day Bella herself awoke as a vampire. She glared bitterly at the ground – it wasn't supposed to end this way. After so much struggle to get as far as they had, their family was still in danger. Would there ever be true happiness for them? The walk to the cottage wasn't a long trip, but it felt like an eternity until Esme finally arrived.

Bella sat on the grass, staring at what was left of the cottage. Esme was silent for a time, and watched her daughter-in-law, who had become just as much a part of the family as the rest, from behind. She felt a newfound sense of kinship with her youngest daughter, now that both of them had had a child torn from them. Esme could never forget the gap that the loss of her first child had left in her life. She closed her eyes and steeled herself – she wouldn't let Bella suffer the same loss.

She knelt down behind Bella and wrapped her arms around the newborn. Bella shuddered at the touch, but didn't fight it. Together, they watched the last of the fires smolder away.

Bella bowed her head low and looked at the grass. "Hey Esme," she said numbly. "It's odd; I can't cry."

"None of us can, Bella," Esme whispered. "But we can still hurt. It's okay to be in pain right now."

"T-they stole my daughter. They tore my arms off and hurt Edward. That man even burned my face and I can't cry about any of it!" said Bella.

"Bella, don't give in to despair," Esme said firmly. She hugged Bella closer. "We _will_ get her back, I promise."

Bella began to shake silently in Esme's arms. "It's okay to let it out, Sweetie. Maybe you can't cry, but you don't have to bottle up your pain."

For just a few seconds, Bella froze. Then, she sat upright, arched her back, and screamed to the sky. For a long time she wailed her grief for the world to hear, until her raw emotions were spent. When she had finally finished crying out in pain, she turned and buried her face into Esme's chest. Esme held Bella gently, occasionally patting her on the shoulder. It was times like these when she remembered Bella really was just a girl.

* * *

Leah's eyes opened groggily. A wave of nausea flooded her senses. As if from a distance, she felt something pressing into her muzzle.

"_Leah, Leah! Are you okay? Leah, Please wake up!"_

Leah groaned and shifted onto her center. She could recognize Seth's voice anywhere, and he needed her. She couldn't afford to be lying around. She laboriously put one paw out underneath her after the other, ignoring the ache that coursed through her body. She paused to catch her breath, and heaved herself up. Good, her legs could still support her weight. It made her so dizzy that she was sure she would throw up, but she could _stand_. She wasn't out of it yet.

"_I'll be okay, Seth," _Leah said slowly.

Seth whined and touched his muzzle to the side of hers. "_What happened? Who got you and Jake?"_

Leah turned and shook her head. "_An old friend. Help me get Jacob on his feet," _she said quickly. Seth's tail fell, but he said nothing.

Jacob was lying on his side not far away from where Leah had been. His eyes were closed and his mind silent, but his body still gave the occasional twitch.

Seth leaned in closer "_What's wrong with him!?"_ he cried.

The feelings of the numbness Aaron had spread throughout her body came flooding back. She quickly leaped between Seth and Leah. "_Don't move him, Seth," _she said urgently. "_He was electrocuted – and worse than me. Don't touch him. It looks like its taking some time to pass."_

Seth looked from Jacob to Leah, whined, and let his tail droop. Then he planted himself on the ground, his front legs in front of his muzzle.

Leah sat down next to him - a little grateful to have a chance to rest. "_Did you see anything on the way here?" _she asked.

"_The Cullens came limping back to the house about ten minutes ago. I went out to look for you guys because none of them had any idea where you were,"_ explained Seth.

Leah narrowed her eyes at nothing in particular, revulsion building up within her. "_Glad to hear they didn't think Jake or I were worth looking for..."_

"_I'm sure they didn't mean anything bad by it, Leah,"_ Seth whined.

"_Did they at least get the little girl back?"_

"_No,"_ said Seth. "_They all looked pretty bad – Bella was missing both her arms. They must have lost."_

Leah knew it shouldn't have, but this news improved her mood. So the mighty vampires found themselves beaten?

"_I know! I can't believe Edward got beat!"_ Seth cried indignantly.

"_I can," _Leah muttered. "_He made sure he was nice and safe back when we fought the newborns, and he wouldn't even help us protect the house when Bella was pregnant. Hell, her too – they've both had it too good for too long."_

_"Aren't you worried about Renesmee?"_ asked Seth.

Leah paused a moment to think. She didn't really _know_ Renesmee, so there wasn't much of a loss for Leah with the girl gone. She understood that they Cullens were probably worried sick about her – Jacob definitely would be once he was awake - but she was fairly sure that Renesmee wasn't in immediate danger. Aaron sounded like he wanted to protect her, if only from Jacob.

"_They wouldn't have taken her if they were going to hurt her, so I'm sure she's fine for now,"_ she said. "_The only thing we can do now is stay calm. If we panic that'll only make things worse."_

Seth said nothing. He simply looked at Jacob and whined.

* * *

A ways past Port Angeles, the sages, disciples and Squad Six met up along the side of highway 101 to discuss their next move. In the interest of following Adella's orders, Aiden and Meryl ultimately continued on with Alexia and Eyal toward a helipad. The others returned to the Seattle Westin to await the earliest flight back to Los Angeles.

Arshaka greeted them at the door to his room. "I see everyone has made it back safely!" he said.

"How long are we going to be stuck waiting?" asked Sergei.

"Not too long," said Arshaka. "I already ordered plane tickets for the six of us, so we'll be heading to SEA in an hour or two."

Heng looked around at the disciples. "I suggest you get some rest while you can," he said.

"Great idea!" cried Lelu. "Come on, Huihana!"

Huihana looked at Lelu, confused. "Why?"

"Girls get their own room," Lelu said forcefully. She grabbed Huihana by the wrist and practically dragged her down the hallway. "See you guys!"

Huihana waved uncertainly at the others. "I guess I'll be spending the night with Lelu then," she mumbled.

A few moments later, Lelu half-shoved Huihana into the room and then walked inside it herself. Huihana sat down hesitantly upon the bed and watched Lelu close the door slowly and quietly.

"Is there some reason you wanted to be alone with me?" asked Huihana.

Lelu held a finger up to her mouth and pressed her ear against the door. After a few moments of silence, Lelu nodded and walked towards the bed. She sat down in front of Huihana and stared directly into her eyes. Huihana fidgeted a little while waiting for Lelu to speak, questions building up inside her.

"Did you see any strange behavior from Aiden tonight?" Lelu eventually asked.

Huihana hadn't expected the subject of their conversion to be Aiden, and was briefly stunned by the surprise. "Aside from being," she said slowly. She fell silent for a while as she thought over what to say.

"Aside from being violent," Lelu supplied. "Mom wants to know who she can trust."

Huihana's eyes went wide with shock. "Are you saying Adella doubts us?" she asked.

"Try not to feel too hurt," Lelu said quickly. "It's just part of the dirty business of being the leader."

Huihana looked down at her lap, disbelief welling up within her. How could Adella distrust them? They had devoted their lives to her, even treating her as their surrogate mother. Was it really possible that she in turn didn't have the same faith?

Lelu leaned forward and took Huihana's hands in her own. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have brought it up that way. That was stupid of me," she said.

Huihana sighed and looked back up at Lelu. "No, Aiden seemed fine," she said. "And I trust Sergei with my life," she added quickly.

Lelu frowned and shook her head. "Sergei isn't one of the people Adella is wondering about. Most of the disciples are too young for her to doubt – and that includes you, by the way – so she's mostly been focusing on the other four sages."

"Adella doesn't trust Mafuane, Heng, Aiden or Arshaka?" asked Huihana.

Lelu leaned back again and nodded. "Mostly. Heng and Mafuane have been loyal to her long enough that she has faith in them, so she's mostly worried about Aiden and Arshaka," she said. "It's no coincidence that those two are the second and third most powerful sages behind Adella herself."

"What makes her think she has a reason to doubt them?" asked Huihana.

Lelu sighed and looked at the ceiling. "It's these orders. Diamond said that they came from the First Generation, but as far as we know the Six Fathers don't even _care_ about us. It could just be that they meant for the Second Generation to destroy the Volturi, and the Second Generation is simply passing the buck to us, as usual..."

She leaned forward, almost double. "Well, it's no surprise that Adella's going to be stressed out over a lot of things when we're about to fight the Volturi. She just has to be more careful than usual that she can trust every one of us."

Huihana narrowed her eyes at the floor. What Lelu said was true, but Huihana couldn't help but wonder if Adella was just being paranoid. If Lelu was being used as Adella's watchman, then what had she been doing stuck in Washington for nearly a week?

"Is that why you were assigned as Arshaka's disciple?" Huihana asked slowly.

"Actually, Arshaka requested me, but it worked out either way," said Lelu.

"What about Meryl? Is she in on it too?" Huihana felt a surge of disgust. Was she being forced to investigate her own brother?

"No, she's not cut out for that kind of work. Besides, she doesn't seem to get along that well with Aiden," said Lelu. "Adella told me that she sent the two of us here so that I could keep an eye on her, that's all."

Huihana looked up and struggled to keep her expression neutral. "Forgive me if this sounds presumptuous, but why does Adella trust you so much?" she asked.

Lelu shook her head and pressed her hands over her chest. "I'm sorry, but that's not a story I like telling to other people. You can ask her if you like," she said.

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Huihana. She reached out tentatively towards Lelu, but the Black Disciple brushed her off and stood up. "I shouldn't have asked that," Huihana mumbled.

"It's fine. I can't blame you for being curious," Lelu said as she walked towards the bathroom. "I'm gonna take a shower. Make yourself at home."

Huihana nodded numbly and lay back on the bed. She spent some time listening to the running water while pondering what Lelu had told her. Before, she had thoughts only for the Volturi, but now she had to wonder if the greater threat was within the ranks of the Twelve Sides.

And if it was, who was the villain? Was it Aiden and Arshaka's "threats", or was it Adella's distrust? Was she playing all of the sides against each other? Was Adella actually right? Why had Lelu been so open with her?

She sat up, anger surging through her. Huihana could at least figure out the answer to _that_ question. Lelu didn't think much of her. The youngest sage, a member of the Twelve Sides for a shorter time than Lelu herself. Well, that was fine. Let them all think she was harmless.

Fuming, Huihana laid on her side and tried to get some rest. She failed to fall asleep by the time Alicia came to get them for their flight.

* * *

Several hours had passed and Bella was still staring at the charred ruins of her cottage, her little piece of Isle Esme, without really taking in the sight. She realized numbly that just a few hours ago, Renesmee was sleeping safely in her bed there. Bella laughed humorlessly. If only she'd listened to Esme and let Renesmee sleep in the main house that night. Maybe she would have still been safely in her bed.

Edward sat beside her. He had arrived with Bella's arms a few minutes after Esme came to comfort her. He worked to reattach Bella's arms, and then took Esme's place consoling his wife. As the first light of dawn appeared on the horizon, he gently squeezed Bella's hand.

"Come on Bella. We need to have a family meeting," he said. He stood up and beckoned for her to follow him.

Bella rose and followed him dispassionately. Husband and wife trudged along the short path back to the main house, both their steps weighed down by the events of the past few hours. After what seemed like an eternity they finally stepped into the kitchen of the main house, where the rest of the family was already awaiting them.

All of the Cullens looked up upon Bella and Edward's entry, save Rosalie, who ran to Bella's side. "I'm so sorry, Bella, we tried to save her, but they got us by surprise," she said. Bella ignored her and sank silently into a chair.

With the remainder of her family together again, Esme scanned the room for all the injuries, physical and emotional, that they had endured. "I should have gone," she whispered. Carlisle wrapped his arm tightly around her.

"They trapped us in ice! How did they do that?" demanded Emmett. He looked around fervently, but nobody answered him. After a second or so of silence, he roared, turned around, and punched a hole into the wall. "What the hell were those guys, who do they work for!?"

Jasper sat on one of the counter-tops, his arms folded and his gaze fixed on his feet. "They acted like they were humans, but they had abilities no humans possess," he said.

Alice, who was leaning against the same counter, looked up at her husband. "So they were probably lying?" she asked.

"That's the only reasonable conclusion," Jasper muttered. "Their abilities are far beyond what the Quileute wolves can do, so they'd have to be vampires."

"They didn't really look like us, though," said Alice. She looked over to Bella, who was still sitting silently in a chair. "Besides, that one guy who burned Bella's face lit his fingertips on fire without burning up."

"It's possible that a vampire with power over fire would have some protection against it," said Jasper.

Emmett was in front of Jasper in a flash, his enormous hands over Jasper's shoulders. "No way! that's impossible! A vampire like that would be invincible!" he cried. He turned and looked at Carlisle. "Right?" he asked desperately.

"It's certainly true that our only weakness is fire," Carlisle said slowly. "We can't heal from burns, or from being reduced to ash. If a vampire appeared who was invulnerable to fire, they would certainly be difficult to kill."

Alice walked over to Bella's side and touched her lightly on the hand. "I'm so sorry, Bella, about the burns."

Bella snapped up and grabbed Alice's wrist. She looked up at Bella and glared directly into her eyes. "Do you think that _matters_ to me now?"

She looked over at Edward. "Edward, take your shirt off!" she shouted.

Edward narrowed his eyes at her, but complied, revealing mottled black scars across his once-perfect chest and abdomen.

"So I've got horrible black marks staining my face, and Edward's body will probably never be as perfect as it used to be, so what?" demanded Bella. "I still love him with all my heart, and I'm sure he loves me just the same. But more importantly, _my daughter was just kidnapped_!"

She threw Alice's wrist aside, and the vampire shrank away into a wall. Bella got out of the chair, knocking it over as she did. "I'm just glad that man didn't burn my eyes out. At least these marks won't stop me from fighting."

"Yeah, well said, Bella!" Emmett cried as he slapped Bella on the shoulder. "I officially take back all the things I muttered under my breath about you!"

Rosalie rolled her eyes at her husband, and then turned to Edward. "Edward, did you manage to get anything useful out of any of their heads?" she asked.

Edward sighed and shook his head. "The first group was just like the people at that convention; I couldn't get a thing out of them. The other two men were different. I could feel their minds, but there was no information. The man who fought Bella and I just kept thinking about how much he hated us, and the other man wasn't thinking anything at all."

"But it's impossible to beat your telepathy!" cried Bella.

"No, Alice does it regularly. It just takes mental control," said Edward.

"What about _your_ gift, Alice? Why didn't you see them coming?" asked Bella.

Alice flinched again and stepped back against the wall. "I-I don't know," she said shakily.

Alice remained near-motionless against the wall, her hand pressed against her temple. Then, out of nowhere, she screamed and slammed both hands against the wall, cracking it. "Nothing's working right with my visions anymore!" she cried. Bella, now alarmed at Alice's outburst, watched as the small vampire looked at her family. Alice leaned forward, the look in her eyes desperate.

"I haven't been able to see any of the moves those people were planning, and the Volturi are coming up as a blur! My visions have always been difficult to fully understand in the past, but now they're practically worthless to me! What's happening to me?"

Jasper was at her side in moments, and restrained his wife. Alice fought against him, but weakly.

Bella took a few steps toward Alice and put both hands up in front of her. "Alice – Alice, calm down, I didn't mean to accuse you," she said. "I'm just upset, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be blaming you."

Alice went limp in Jasper's arms and let her head fall. "No, no, I understand that, Bella," she moaned. "It's just that, you know that I was alone for a long time, right? I spent a long time in the dark, and I kind of... withdrew into myself."

Alice gently pushed Jasper's arms aside and stood on her own, though she kept her head bowed low. "The only company I had in that time was my visions of the future. They've always been at my side, in a matter of speaking, guiding me. Thanks to them I met Jasper, and all of you," she added, smiling up at Jasper and then the rest of the Cullens. "But now, for them to be failing me... It's like a childhood friend suddenly abandoning me when I needed her most."

Bella reached out to grab Alice's hand, but decided against it. Jasper knew her better; he had been at her side for far longer than Bella. Alice needed him at that moment. And Bella needed to plan.

"Is it possible that those men were linked with the Volturi?" asked Bella.

"I don't know. They both kind of acted like they did, but they also acted like they didn't," said Edward. "Given that they knew about us, Renesmee, and where we live, I would be surprised if they weren't related in some way."

"Then we have to get ready to fight," said Bella. "They won't let it end with just kidnapping Renesmee. They have something to gain from it, so they're going to be back."

"Hell yeah!" Emmett cried as he punched through another wall.

Rosalie nodded and crossed her arms. "So we make the rounds and call up our friends once again," said Rosalie.

"We have to teach them a lesson. Those kidnappers, and the Volturi!" said Bella.

"Then we're going to be busy very soon," said Carlisle.

The rest of the Cullens nodded numbly, each of them fully aware how right Carlisle was. Once again, they would have to rally their force. Once again, they would have to fight.

* * *

Lelu dashed out into the lobby of LAX, while the rest of the disciples and sages followed more slowly behind her.

"Someone's eager," muttered Sergei.

"I just can't wait to feel the sun on my face instead of rain," said Lelu.

"Try visiting Russia; you'll get plenty of both," Sergei said with a bitter laugh.

Eun-Mi walked up from behind Lelu and crossed her arms. "It's good to see we're all still one happy family," she said.

Lelu spun around in surprise, and looked up at Green Disciple. "Hey, didn't expect to see you here!" she cried.

Eun-Mi rolled her eyes and looked instead towards the sages. "Mafuane and I arrived two or three hours ago. I volunteered to pick the rest of you guys up," she explained.

"Has Mom arrived yet?" asked Huihana.

"Yes, but she's not at headquarters yet. She and Sabal had some business to take care of," said Eun-Mi.

"I thought she'd want to meet with us when we arrived," muttered Arshaka.

Lelu glared up at her Sage. "I'm sure that she has a good reason to be away," she said.

Eun-Mi cleared her throat loudly. "It would be best if we got back to headquarters and wait for Mom to return," she said.

"I agree with Eun-Mi," rasped Heng.

He and Eun-Mi immediately made for the door leading out of the lobby. The others followed.

"I forgot how sweet our Green Disciple is," muttered Sergei.

"She's just serious," said Aaron. "I actually worked with her for a short while back last summer. She can be a lot of fun if you can get her to thaw." He paused and grinned wide. "Pretty good drinker too."

"Maybe she's getting old," Lelu crooned.

"She's barely in her thirties," said Huihana.

Lelu turned and grinned at Huihana, walking in reverse as she did. "That's old compared to most of us."

"Don't let Heng hear you," said Arshaka.

Lelu nodded, turned back around, and jogged ahead. The disciples and sages headed towards the parking lots, where Eun-Mi had prepared a pair of cars for them. After a short drive, they arrived at the building in which the Third Generation maintained their Los Angeles headquarters.

Now they only had to wait for the rest of their group to arrive.

* * *

A Bell 412 helicopter crossed over the Washington border into Oregon just as the sun began to rise. Aboard that helicopter, the rising sun cast a glare across Meryl's sleeping form, waking her up. Meryl swore bitterly and tried to turn away from the light, but she couldn't manage this comfortably. With a tired sigh Meryl gave up on getting any more sleep, instead she stretched out her tired body and struggled to fully wake up.

The helicopter that she was riding in was one of the few private aircraft owned by the Third Generation. That one in particular had been loaned out to them by Adella's father. The passenger area, two rows of seats facing one another, was slightly cramped, but the seats were comfortable, and the model managed a decent cruising speed and range. It served their purposes when going by public air travel was too risky, and none of them had wanted to risk explaining Renesmee's perpetual sleep to any curious civilians.

Renesmee herself was strapped securely to a chair at Meryl's right side. Across from Meryl was Aiden, already awake and reading the newspaper. Morrigan was, for once, not on Aiden's shoulder, and was instead sleeping in the chair next to him. Meryl stared hard at Aiden, longing to see him, but she couldn't with the paper in the way. All she really had to do was call out to him. Aiden would abandon the newspaper in an instant to speak with his little sister. No matter how badly she wanted to, she couldn't bring herself to get his attention.

When he wanted to talk, she wanted him to leave her alone. When he was minding his own business, she craved his attention. She wanted to prove herself to him, and yet she didn't want to fulfill the role he had set before her. Meryl glared at her lap and fidgeted. Why couldn't she keep her head on straight around her older brother?

"Finally awake?" asked Aiden.

Meryl looked up quickly in surprise, her mind working in double-time.

"_Yeah, I'm fine! How about you?_"

"I'm fine," she said.

"The pilot said that we'll be making a fuel stop in two hours or so, so we can grab a bite to eat then," said Aiden.

Meryl forced a grin. "Sounds great."

Aiden folded up his newspaper and looked straight at Meryl. She avoided his gaze. "Still shaken from that fight?" he asked.

"_Yeah, hehehe. It's a good thing you showed up when you did". _

"A little," she said.

Aiden chuckled. "Eyal told me you were even with that Alice girl for a while, even though you couldn't kill her. She and her mate actually kept _Hang_ on his toes, so you must have fought well."

"_Thanks, Aiden. Hearing you praise me means so much, big brother!"_

She gave him a weak smile in return.

"_I always knew you'd come to save me. You've always been there for me."_

"Thanks, Aiden," she mumbled.

Aiden nodded and returned to his newspaper. "Don't forget how important you are, Meryl. Someday you'll be stronger than me – stronger than Adella, I bet."

"_You're joking, Aiden, you'll always be the best!"_

"Thanks," she said quietly.

Meryl sighed and looked down at her feet. He frequently said things like that to her. So why couldn't she tell him the things she wanted to say?

* * *

By mid-afternoon, the Bell 412 finally touched down upon the roof of the Third Generation's Los Angeles headquarters. After the landing procedures were completed, Meryl and Aiden stepped off onto the helipad. Renesmee, still fast asleep, was in Meryl's arms, and Morrigan was on her usual perch.

Sabal Sarin, the White Disciple of the Twelve Sides, walked forward to greet the siblings. Meryl couldn't help but smile. To most people, his tall, muscular stature made him seem intimidating and unapproachable, but Meryl knew from experience that he was actually quite open and accommodating, especially to his subordinates. Ever since they first met, she knew she could rely on him – an individual known as "the sage among disciples."

Sabal shook Aiden's hand, and then turned and nodded at Meryl. "It's a pleasure to see the two of you again," he said.

Meryl dipped her head to Sabal and smiled. "The honor is ours, Sabal," she said.

"Sabal, are the others here?" asked Aiden.

"Yes, you two were the last to arrive," said Sabal.

"Mom's here too?" asked Meryl.

"Well, she's in Los Angeles, but she's not at headquarters right now," said Sabal. He jerked his head toward the stairway leading into the building. "The others are waiting for us in the conference room. Adella should arrive soon, so please follow me."

Without waiting for any reply from the siblings, Sabal made for the stairway. Meryl and Aiden glanced at each other, and followed behind him.

Meryl jogged to catch up to Sabal, Renesmee bouncing lightly in her arms. "Excuse me, Sabal, but is there anywhere I can leave Renesmee?" she asked.

"We've prepared a room for the dhampir. I'll take her there while we wait for Adella," Sabal said casually.

"Sabal, where've you been recently?" asked Aiden.

"Taking care of tasks for Adella," said Sabal.

"Regular hunts, or something different?" Aiden pressed.

"You'll have to ask Adella in person," Sabal said after a moment of silence.

Aiden said nothing. Meryl glanced at him, but he simply shook his head without looking at her.

Sabal led them along the way towards the conference room. The building that the Twelve Sides had made their headquarters was actually the main office of the corporation that Adella's father owned. It, along with a decent amount his personal funds, were being loaned out to the Third Generation during their stay in Los Angeles.

The upper floors of the building had been sealed off, ostensibly for renovations. The actual reason was to ensure that civilians didn't become tied up in the workings of the vampire hunters. Therefore, the only people that the trio encountered on the way to the conference room were members of the Third Generation. After only a few minutes of heading through the hallways of the building, they arrived. The conference hall, a wide round room with a half-circle desk in the middle, was actually a meeting room ordinarily used by the board of directors.

Aside from Adella, the other members of the Twelve Sides were already there, seated at the table. Most of the others merely looked up to acknowledge the arrival of the siblings, though Lelu flashed Meryl a brief smile.

"If you two would make yourselves comfortable, I'll take the young dhampir to her room," said Sabal.

Aiden wasted no time finding a free seat, but Meryl lingered a short while, a little reluctant to give Renesmee over. When she finally handed Renesmee over to Sabal, she did so slowly and gently. Sabal simply nodded and excused himself from the room. Meryl sat down next to Aiden, a little numb inside.

Lelu gave Meryl's shoulder a brief squeeze and smiled at her. "You'll see her again," she whispered.

Meryl smiled back appreciatively. As she looked around, she had to suppress a shudder at the realization that all of the Twelve Sides have been united. The strongest twelve individuals among the Third Generation, all ready to fight as one. She couldn't help but smile as her heart swelled in pride. Let the vampires beware.

"I can't believe we're all here," Eun-Mi mumbled, as if reading Meryl's mind.

"It would be impossible without the Second Generation ordering us to unite," said Sergei.

"Who's going to be keeping up the watch?" asked Aaron. "With all of us here, the vampires will have the run of the world."

"There's no need to worry about that," said Eun-Mi, "the special squads were put on heightened rounds across the world. They'll have to pick up the slack for us for a while."

Silence fell for a time, until Heng cleared his throat and asked, "How is your training coming along, Huihana?"

"It's going just f-fine, Lord Heng!" Huihana said quickly.

"You don't have to address me by my full name, girl," said Heng. "Besides, I'm no lord, just an old man that hasn't been put away for the night yet."

"You shouldn't talk like that, Heng," said Eun-mi. "It's been a long time since anyone in the Twelve Sides has lived and fought for as long as you have. It would be terrible to lose you."

"Don't forget that I'm just a tired old man, Eun-mi," said Heng. "The only thing I'm looking for now is the right battlefield to die on."

"He's always saying this overused fatalistic tripe," Aaron said, chuckling. "You'd think he already had one foot in the grave."

Heng brushed him off. "On second though, I guess I'm not ready to die after all," he growled. He turned and glared at Aaron. Meryl thought it was amazing that Heng could manage to stare down Aaron despite being over a foot shorter than his disciple. "The thought of leaving the yellow side to a young fool like you scares me. You're about twenty years too young to succeed me."

If anything, Aaron laughed more heartily. "That's the old Heng that I remember. Uncle, I submit!" he cried in the midst of his mirth.

Mafuane looked at Aaron and gave him a smile. "You just need time to grow," she said. "Don't worry. You'll earn Heng's respect."

"Yeah, like Eun-mi," said Lelu. "Of course, such things usually come with _age_."

"I'm not old, you brat," snapped Eun-mi.

Mafuane nodded slowly, apparently undisturbed by the threat of an argument between the disciples. "I would be lost without her help," she said.

Eun-mi turned back to her sage and smiled. "No, I'm only doing my part as a disciple," she said.

Meryl smiled at her associates. She had never before seen all of them together, in the flesh, so she was pleased to see how casually they all interacted. She had long considered the Third Generation her family, and was happy to see them actually behaving like one. Their close bonds with each other was all that they really had.

The door behind them opened up. Meryl glanced over her shoulder, and was struck by surprise at the sight of Adella walking briskly into the room. "It's good to see that you are all enjoying each other's company," she said. She walked around the table and stood at the flat edge, its front side. "And I'm also pleased to see that you have all arrived safely. While it's unfortunate that we're soon going to head into battle, it is wonderful nonetheless that we've all managed to meet in person."

Sabal walked in as well and took his own seat.

Arshaka slammed his hand on the table and laughed boisterously. "Yes! With all of the twelve sides together, there's not a vampire in existence who can stand against us!" he cried.

"I appreciate your zeal, Arshaka," said Adella, "but you mustn't become blinded by overconfidence. We will give our enemies the due respect they deserve."

"The Volturi are our only true opponents, Mom," said Aiden. "The vampires in Washington were weak and hardly worth any effort."

"Yes, I heard of your exploits last night," said Adella. "You all performed quite well.

"We're going to continue observing that family," said Sabal. "For the time being, it seems they're reacting in our favor."

"If they gather all their friends like they did last year, the Volturi will see it as a sign of rebellion," said Eun-mi. "They'll move in to crush the uprising, and they themselves will be vulnerable."

"A fine time for us to move in and get rid of all of them," Aiden added. Meryl glanced at him, but immediately wished she hadn't. The eager grin on his face frightened her.

With a loud thud, the double doors leading into the conference room were thrown open. A group of women, all wearing the same black and silver outfits, stood in the entrance way. "So, it seems the lot of you are hard at work," said the center-most woman. She stood with her arms crossed, smirking at the Twelve Sides.

Meryl felt her blood run cold. They all looked like young adults – unusually beautiful ones. Their unusual features betrayed them as dhampirs. She turned and looked down intently at her hands. She didn't want to make eye contact with them; it made her feel like a commoner looking up upon the nobility. Diamond, the leader of the Second Generation, had come. With her were her bodyguards and her personal assistant.

The Third Generation's bosses had arrived to check up on them...

* * *

Hey everyone, it's good to be back :D

Please review if you have time; I'd appreciate the feedback or suggestions for improvement! Also, if you have any ideas where I might advertise Sunspot, I'd also greatly appreciate that.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Sunspot**_

_Only a few months have passed since the Cullen's encounter with the Volturi, and Renesmee is growing with each passing day. However, she longs to explore the world and find her own destiny. Meanwhile, forever is looking considerably shorter when the winter incident provokes a mysterious organization lurking in the shadows to step into the light... Rated M for character death. Ye be warned._

Disclaimer: Twilight and its peeps belong to Meyer. Only the OC's belong to me.

Author's Note: Thanks again to Aviva Tsuion. A day late, this time; both Tsuion and I were a little busy this week. Sorry about that one!

* * *

_Eleven - With kindness comes naivete...__  
_

_-Renesmee_

* * *

All members of the Twelve Sides remained quiet as Diamond and her entourage entered the conference hall. The twelve hunters all deliberately looked away. Meryl tried to ignore her superiors, but she couldn't help but watch them out of the corner of her eye.

Diamond leaned against the doorway, a smug grin on her face. Three young women stood at her in an array right behind her. Coral was the thinnest and frailest-looking of the quintet. Serpentine was sharp-featured and immaculately-presented. Obsidian was a rather short young woman wearing a longcoat. She looked through each member of the Twelve Sides in turn.

The last of Diamond's group was a red-headed young woman that appeared to be trying to hide behind the trio of bodyguards. Meryl caught the last girl's eye for just a moment, before the girl quickly looked away, turning her eyes towards her feet. Meryl had heard rumors about the skittish dhampire from Aiden. She was Diamond's personal assistant, an individual that the rest of the Second Generation called Pyrite - fool's gold. Her sisters considered her a worthless scrap of metal among precious gems like them.

Meryl couldn't help but pity her.

After a few more moments of tense silence, Diamond stood up straight and began to slowly walk around the table toward Adella. Diamond's gaze was fixed upon the leader of the Twelve Sides, but her bodyguards were watching the other eleven hunters.

"So, you gathered as I told you to – a nice obedient group of dogs," sneered Diamond.

Adella stood and bowed to Diamond. "Indeed, we pride ourselves on our obedience," she said brightly.

"So that would make you the alpha bitch of this pack."

Though a low angry buzz seemed to hover over the table, Adella merely smiled and nodded. "I can't say I love the comparison, but that's not completely inaccurate," she said.

Meryl forced herself to look down at her hands; just looking at Diamond's smug face made her want to punch it. Instead, she glanced out of the corner of her eye at Aiden. She would have expected her brother to be furious, but the look on his face was peaceful. Morrigan, however, was glaring at Diamond.

Obsidian caught sight of the large bird, and frowned at her in turn. "Red Sage, control your Familiar. I don't like the look it's giving Diamond," she snapped. Her hands slipped slowly into the pockets of her longcoat.

"Morrigan's just a dumb animal, don't mind her," Aiden said calmly. He didn't even look up at Obsidian as he spoke.

"'A dumb animal'," Obsidian echoed. "You expect me to believe that an Irishman would name a perfectly ordinary crow after a Celtic pagan goddess?"

"More or less," said Aiden.

Meryl glanced up nervously. How had she known Aiden was Irish? It wasn't like he had an accent or anything. Meryl had assumed that the Second Generation found the Third to be beneath their notice. Obsidian's remark unsettled her; it made her wonder what else they knew about the Twelve Sides.

"Forget it, Obsidian," said Diamond. "Let these _people_ play around however they like."

Meryl discreetly watched Diamond and Adella's silent confrontation. She could easily see them both from where she was sitting. Adella was still smiling at the smirking Diamond. Meryl could only wonder how Adella controlled herself so well.

"I expected you would grace us with your presence a while ago. What was dire enough to delay you?" asked Adella.

Diamond scoffed and waved one of her arms indifferently. "Topaz went missing two weeks ago. First we had to search for her – or her body – and then I had to personally report the problem to the Six Fathers," she muttered. "After all that trouble she'd better hope we _don't_ find her."

Diamond shook her head, and then continued to glare at Adella. "So, what's your plan to eliminate the Volturi? The Six Fathers want a report."

Adella barely opened her mouth when Diamond held up a hand to stop her. "Hang on a moment – Pyrite, get the fuck up here and get ready to take notes!" she snapped.

With a squeak, Pyrite pushed past the three bodyguards and was at Diamond's side in an instant. She held a small stack of papers against her chest.

Adella gave Pyrite a reassuring smile and asked, "Are you ready to record, dear?"

Pyrite gave a shaky nod.

"Diamond, we discovered that the Volturi have, for some time, had their eyes on a certain coven of vampires in Washington," Adella said slowly. Pyrite dutifully wrote along with Adella's words. "We just completed a raid yesterday in which we damaged some of their property and superficially wounded several of them. Before we departed, we implied that the Volturi were behind the attack."

"So what? You were ordered to destroy the Volturi, not piss off a bunch of nobodies," said Diamond.

"Provoking the Washington Coven was only the first half of the plan," said Adella. "According to our own investigation, the coven in question are a group of... jittery individuals who have been at odds with the Volturi for some time. The Second and First Generation were aware of the December incident, yes?"

Diamond took a step back and rolled her eyes at Adella. "Yes, of course. Group of renegade vampires tried to rise against the Volturi," she said.

"The Washington Coven was at the center of the uprising," said Adella.

Diamond chuckled and gave an "oh" of recognition. "I see where you're heading with this," she said. "So you trick these dupes into gathering another uprising against the Volturi. Simple, effective, underhanded."

Still laughing, she leaned forward. "I didn't know you humans could fight dirty. I confess that you've impressed me."

"Thank you for your praise," said Adella.

Diamond's smile faded. "Pyrite, when do the Six Fathers expect results?" she suddenly asked.

Pyrite gave a start, dropping her papers. She immediately got onto her hands and knees to retrieve them, Diamond glaring at her all the while. With the final paper in hand, Pyrite looked up to see Diamond holding out a hand to her.

"Ah, thank you, Mistress," cried Pyrite. Smiling, she stretched one of her trembling hands towards Diamond's. Then, several things happened at once: Meryl heard a sharp "crack", followed by a cry of pain. Then, she heard Pyrite's body and papers hitting the ground. Meryl winced entirely too late.

"Pick them up again," whispered Diamond. "You think you can make a fool of me in front of my subordinates, you useless bitch?"

"I'm sorry, mistress! Please, forgive me!" cried Pyrite. Her voice was thick with emotion.

Diamond's assistant was below the line of the table – Meryl couldn't see her. She was grateful she couldn't; Pyrite didn't deserve to be seen in such a sad state. Meryl wanted nothing more than to help the poor girl, but she couldn't, not with Diamond and her lackies right there. All she could do was give Pyrite her sympathies.

Meryl looked around at the others. Aiden and most of the other sages looked almost emotionless, but Huihana was deliberately looking away from Diamond and Pyrite. The Blue Sage seemed to be on the verge of tears. Lelu had her eyes closed and her arms crossed determinedly in front of her chest, but her hands were clenched so hard that her knuckles looked white. Sergei was also looking away, but a constant twitch of his jaw betrayed his disgust.

Eventually, Pyrite gathered the papers a second time and got back on her feet. She stood rooted on the spot, breathing heavily, as Diamond glared at her. "Now, Pyrite, when did the Six Fathers want the job done?" asked Diamond.

Pyrite flinched and looked away from Diamond. "M-mistress, the Six Fathers never gave me a timetable," she said.

Diamond scoffed, and turned her attention back on Adella. "Well, I guess that leaves you more freedom to work. They're expecting an in-depth update, but I can't imagine why."

"I was under the impression that the First Generation didn't take much direct interest in our work," said Adella.

"What they do is none of your business," snapped Diamond. "The Fathers want to know more about your plans, so I'll be sitting in on the rest of this meeting."

Diamond glanced around the room, and gestured towards a part of the room's edge. The five dhampirs clustered there and quietly began watching the Twelve Sides. Arshaka, who was closest to them, frowned and leaned lower over the table. Meryl deliberately looked away from the members of the Second Generation, and watched Adella instead.

After a brief pause, the mother of the Twelve Sides took her seat at the front of the table. "Very well, let us continue as usual." she said.

A brief but uncomfortable silence followed. Eventually, Heng loudly said, "We were last discussing our plan to lure out the Volturi."

"Actually, Heng, there's another matter I'd like to address," said Sabal. He turned towards Adella, who gave him a brief nod. "I've been using familiars to follow the movements of the Volturi over the past few weeks, and I've discovered that they're trying to recruit more vampires to their cause."

"By 'more vampires', I assume you don't mean newborns," said Eun-mi.

"Yes. The volturi are seeking out old and powerful vampires that have been in isolation for many years," said Sabal.

"How many vampires are we talking, and how powerful are they?" asked Lelu.

"Only one so far. Unfortunately, she's enough," said Sabal. Sabal then stood and spent a brief moment tinkering with a projector, until it displayed a map Japan. Sabal pulled out a red pocket laser and pointed to a part of the map that was marked 'Aokigahara'.

"This is the forest Aokigahara. It is known for the inordinate amount of people who commit suicide there. About two days ago, a small group from the Volturi made contact with a vampire that had been living there for decades," explained Sabal.

"Why didn't we deal with her years ago?" Sergei demanded as he threw up his arms.

Sabal gave Sergei a calm glance. "She used the place's unfortunate reputation to conceal herself."

Meryl glanced nervously at Diamond. The Second Generation's leader was staring at the Twelve Sides impassively. Meryl shuddered and turned away; she could only imagine that the direction the conversation was taking made them all look incompetent. "But you _did_ manage to find her, Sabal," she said pointedly.

"I happened to find traces of the Volturi's presence in Japan the day before," said Sabal. "I finally caught up with them in Aokigahara, but I didn't want to risk moving against them alone."

"Why not?" cried Aaron.

"Alec and Jane were with them," Sabal said bluntly. Silence reigned once again.

Meryl sank into her chair sheepishly, wondering whether or not the others were thinking about her at that moment.

Out of the corner of her eye, Meryl saw Aiden glancing towards her. "What did you learn about the Japanese vampire?" he asked Sabal.

"She has power over gravity," was the reply.

Eun-mi groaned loudly, Sergei and Aaron swore.

"_Christ_," muttered Arshaka. "She's gonna be a doozy, all right..."

"What this means," Adella said loudly, "Is that the Volturi will be recruiting vampires with rare and dangerous powers to their cause. Vampires they didn't dare call upon before now."

"We need to stop them, then!" cried Lelu.

"I agree with Lelu," said Heng. He leaned back, his arms crossed. "It would be a good opportunity to catch the Volturi off guard. They may be preparing for battle, it's not _us _that they're preparing for."

"We can take care of that," Diamond suddenly spoke up. Meryl and the others gave the Second Generation leader their attention. She crossed her arms and smirked. "We can move around the world faster than you humans can."

"I believe collaboration would be best," said Adella.

"Your Washington pawns will be preparing too, won't they?" asked Diamond. "Focus on them; the Volturi will be coming here."

"She has a point," Eun-mi said slowly.

Adella closed her eyes and nodded. "We'll have to decide how to approach this at a later time," she said. "We have to gather more intelligence before we can act."

The others mumbled in agreement.

"In the meanwhile, I urge you to spend the next few days recuperating. Many of you have been traveling and fighting, and I need each of you at your best," said Adella. She turned to Diamond and nodded. "That is all. What will the five of you do?"

Diamond shrugged and began walking toward the door. "I'm going to stick around until tomorrow," she said casually. She turned and grinned at Adella. "The Fathers also wanted me to inspect your operations. They'd like to make certain the funding you're given is being well-spent."

"Ah, lovely, we'll have a room prepared for you," said Adella. She swept her gaze across the eleven sages and disciples. "Everyone, please treat our guests with the utmost courtesy."

She was met with scattered acknowledgment. Evidently unbothered, Diamond left the room. A low murmur of frustration filled the conference room as the members of the twelve sides left one by one. Meryl walked slowly in a random direction, her mind buzzing. She was concerned about the notion of the Volturi gathering new vampires to their cause, but the Second Generation's intrusion bothered her more. She didn't like the idea of Diamond's followers nosing their way into the Third Generation's busy.

In the midst of Meryl's thoughts, she suddenly felt a sharp jolt as hands clapped onto her shoulders from behind. Meryl jumped and spun around to find Lelu standing in front of her, laughing brightly.

"Don't do that! I don't need you sneaking up on me when we've got Diamond's lackeys snooping around!" screamed Meryl.

Lelu stopped laughing, and her face fell. "Yeah, sorry about that. That was a bit low of me," she mumbled. "Well, I just wanted to say good-bye for now."

Meryl crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow at Lelu. "Going somewhere?" she asked.

"Well, we were working together to investigate the Cullens, right? Since we're done with that, this'll be the end of our partnership. It's only a matter of time until we receive new assignments," said Lelu.

Meryl realized that Lelu had a point. They were fighting in the same area for now, but it wouldn't be long until they were spread across the globe again. As Meryl stopped to consider what Lelu had said, her anger subsided. To her own surprise, Meryl's heart fell.

Lelu smiled and patted Meryl softly on the shoulder. "You were a bit of a stick in the mud, but it was fun working with you," she said.

"You got on my nerves a lot," muttered Meryl. Lelu immediately pouted. "But you kept things interesting. We should, you know, hang out while we're all here."

Lelu beamed at Meryl, and pulled her into a tight hug. Meryl, was taken completely by surprise, but she didn't offer any resistance. It wasn't so bad, really...

"We're being watched," Lelu whispered into Meryl's ear. "Renesmee's being kept in a room next to yours. There's a way to her room from yours. I'm going to cast an illusion to hide the main door to Renesmee's room until Diamond leaves."

Meryl nodded.

Lelu pulled away from Meryl, and smiled wide at her. "Okay! We've got a few days to stay together, so we'll schedule something in for," she paused, "eleven at night sounds good. I'll make sure to wear my sexy underwear, so you do the same."

"Lelu, I didn't mean like that!" snapped Meryl with a relatively light punch to her perverted friend's shoulder.

Lelu gave her a look of exaggerated surprise. "You want to go commando!? You're daring, Meryl!"

"I'll be going now!" Meryl said loudly as she turned down a different hallway. She could hear Lelu's laughter echoing after her.

Meryl quickly found a member of the Third Generation and asked to be led to her room. The room selected for Meryl had clearly once been an office space; tables and workstations had been pushed off to the side of the rooms, and a bed and dresser put in their place. Meryl's belongings, left behind at the Seattle Westin, were sitting at the foot of the bed. The conditions were generally austere, but she at least had a window.

Meryl fell into the bed and lay there for a moment, but she soon stood and searched for the promised secret path to Renesmee's room. She found it behind a false wall inside of a side storage room. Meryl pushed the wall aside and quietly entered Renesmee's room.

The room chosen for Renesmee had no windows, and its walls and door had been hastily reinforced and outfitted with a more secure locking system governed by keycards. It was originally another, larger, storage room, but everything that was once inside of it had been removed. Now, it was sparse, furnished with only a bed, a small table and a television set, but it didn't look the part of a prison cell. After all, the girl wasn't truly meant to be a prisoner of the Twelve Sides.

Renesmee herself lay upon the bed, still peacefully asleep. Meryl stood before her, and carefully undid the sleeping enchantment the young dhampir had been placed under. Renesmee woke up slowly, sat up, and groggily looked around. Before much time had passed, Renesmee's eyes went wide. She caught sight of Meryl and backed herself into the corner of her room, quivering like a leaf the whole time.

Meryl kept her distance, so as not to further alarm Renesmee. She knelt down near the edge of the bed. "Calm down, honey, I'm not going to hurt you. None of us are, I promise," she said soothingly.

"What's going on!? Where am I?" cried Renesmee. She looked around wildly. "Where's my mom and dad!?"

"It's okay, Renesmee, calm down. You're somewhere safe, and your mommy and daddy are both perfectly fine back in Washington. We've taken you here away from them for," she began to say, until realization hit. What was she supposed to say next? What Renesmee surely wanted to hear was "just a little while", but the truth was more akin to "ever".

Renesmee apparently filled in the gaps on her own; her fear quickly changed to anger. She glared hatefully at Meryl. "You kidnapped me!? Why!? What did my parents do to you!?" she demanded.

"Your parents haven't done anything to us, but we still needed to take you away from them," said Meryl. "I promise you, we're not going to hurt you. We're going to keep you safe and sound here."

To Meryl's lack of surprised, Renesmee didn't become any calmer. Instead, she began to go slightly red in the face. "Who is 'we', 'Nanoha'?"

Meryl giggled sheepishly and pulled up a chair to sit on. Renesmee crossed her legs and sat on her bed, glaring defiantly at Meryl.

"I'm sorry that I had to lie to you when we first met. My real name is Meryl Brandon. I can't tell you who the rest of us are. I don't have the authority to do that, but our leader wants to speak with you soon. I'm sure she'll tell you a little more when you meet her."

"Can you at least tell me what I'm here for?" asked Renesmee.

"We want some answers about what happened last winter," said Meryl.

Renesmee's eyes widened. "You mean with the Volturi?" she asked.

Meryl nodded and stood up. "I'm going to leave you here alone for a while so that you can," she hesitated, and gestured around at the room, "sorta take in everything that's been happening. I'll bring you food soon, and I'll be around to keep you company if you like."

Meryl turned to leave, but a small hand caught her by the sleeve as she tried to open the door.

"I wanna go home," Renesmee said softly. "I wanna go back to my mommy and daddy. I wanna see my uncles and my aunts, my grandpa and grandma and my Jacob."

Meryl stared back down at Renesmee, at a complete loss for a words. She would have loved to fulfill Renesmee's wish, but... She was better off where she was now.

If only because most of the vampires would likely soon be dead.

Meryl knelt down, picked Renesmee up, and took her back to her bed. "It'll be okay," whispered Meryl. "I promise."

Meryl turned to leave, but lingered a moment to examine Renesmee one last time. The girl was simply staring at her, her expression unreadable. Meryl frowned, troubled by Renesmee's look, but decided not to question the girl. Meryl took the first steps towards her own room when Renesmee suddenly asked, "You're a half-breed too, aren't you?"

Meryl froze, her entire body suddenly feeling numb. Slowly, she turned back towards Renesmee. "How - what makes you think that?" she asked.

"Your body heat," Renesmee said bluntly. "My body is very warm. To me, Humans feel a little cold to the touch. Jacob and the wolves feel normal to me, but I can tell from smelling you that you're not one of them. I noticed it back at the convention, but I didn't really stop to worry about it then."

Meryl forced herself to smile and snapped her fingers, causing a small flame to flare up in the palm of her hand. "Fire and heat are my specialties," she said, hoping that Renesmee would accept the explanation.

To Meryl's disappointment, Renesmee's face didn't betray any signs of defeat. "Maybe, but you already told me I'm right. You were about to ask 'how did you know,' before you stopped yourself, weren't you?"

Meryl heaved a sigh and sank onto the floor. "You're too clever," she muttered. "I look like a teenager, don't I?"

Renesmee nodded.

"I'm actually twenty-three years old," said Meryl. "Yes, you're right; my dad was a vampire. I don't know who he is, and nobody else seems to know either." Meryl shrugged. "I guess he wasn't much of a family man."

Renesmee stared at Meryl, a curious look on her face. "Why would you try to hide being a half-breed?"

"Dhampir. The proper term is dhampir," said Meryl, "and there's no real reason. It's just something I've always been used to doing."

"You're lying," Renesmee said bluntly.

Meryl hesitated, and nodded. "I never really wanted to be one," she whispered. "It's different for you; you live among vampires. My close ones are all human." She held up her hands in front of her face and stared at them. "I'm going to be like this forever, and I'll have to watch them get old and die. Lelu, Aiden, they're all going to leave me behind."

Renesmee fell completely silent. Meryl glanced at Renesmee, wondering whether or not she was digesting what she had told her. After a few moments of the silence, Meryl stood up. "Sorry, but I'd rather drop this discussion for now," she said. "I'll come see you in a while, if you wanna talk then."

Meryl returned to her own room, taking a moment to lock the passage to Renesmee's behind her. Without hesitation, she changed into her nightclothes and threw herself onto her bed. She needed some rest.

* * *

Behind the veil of clouds, the sun slowly wheeled across the sky. All was silent at the Cullen house. Lelu had described their house as being like a tomb, but now it truly _felt_ like one. Carlisle, Edward and Jasper had left that morning. They were traveling to reassemble their old allies. They were the lucky ones; they had something to keep their minds off their loss. The others were left with nothing to distract them from Renesmee's absence.

Bella spent the day flipping absent-mindedly through photo albums filled with the pictures they had taken of Renesmee. Occasionally, she would stop to read through the many books Renesmee had read to Bella, or just sat and stared at the remains of the cottage.

Alice had spent nearly the entire time since the family meeting sitting down and focusing intently on her visions. She had remained frozen on the spot for nearly eight hours. A part of her knew that she was stubbornly but futilely trying to "train" her power to overcome her inability to see half breeds.

Rosalie reacted very similarly to Bella, and spent the majority of her time either staring at some of Renesmee's belongings, or staying close to Emmett for support. Emmett's spirit had vanished. He mostly spent his time only half-heartedly watching his sports games. Esme tried to keep up a strong front for the sake of her children, but the somberness of the situation was wearing down on her too. She went through the hollow motions of homekeeping, her heart not in her work.

In the midst of all the sorrows, Leah dutifully kept to her rounds of the Cullen house, waiting for Jacob's return. The moment her Alpha woke up, he immediately scoured the highway and the surrounding forest for some sign of where Renesmee had been taken the night before. Leah followed his progress through their mental connection, and was unsurprised to learn that he found nothing of any use. She had suspected that their attackers would be smarter than to leave obvious traces.

Renesmee's trail finally went cold past Port Angeles, leaving Jacob with an insurmountable end to his hunt. He spent several hours continuing to search for a new track to follow, to no avail. It wasn't until dusk that he finally returned in defeat. The change in his emotions was absolute; the night before he had been a whirlwind of fury and need, but now he was a dead spot. He slumped down on the dirt not far from Leah and Seth, his entire world torn away from him.

"_Who was that man that fought us, Leah?"_ he asked dully.

"_I already told you as much as I knew,"_ she said. She would have left it at that, if not for Jacob's desolation. If nothing else, perhaps learning about his enemies could get back some of his fight. "_Like I said said last night, his name was Aaron. I heard from Sam that they used to be best friends, until he ran off one night. Sam wanted to look for him for a while, but he couldn't leave the reservation. Aaron's parents were both dead, too, so there wasn't anyone around to really search for him."_

"_His parents died?" _asked Seth.

"_Sam said his mom died from illness when Aaron was young and that he lost his dad to Alzheimer's," _said Leah. Aaron had described his ability as 'just brain surgery'. It didn't surprise Leah that Aaron knew a thing or two about how the mind worked.

"_If they were friends, how come you or Sam never mentioned him?"_ asked Seth.

"_I didn't really know him; he was Sam's friend, not mine,"_ said Leah. "_And Sam didn't like to be reminded of him. Aaron was his Beta for a while, so Sam took Aaron's running away pretty hard. It seems he found a new pack to run with after he left."_

"_Who were those people, Leah?"_ asked Seth. He whined involuntarily, and his nervousness brushed against Leah's mind. He hadn't seen the Cullens so badly beaten before.

"_Hell if I know. I think Aaron would have told me a little more about them if Jacob hadn't attacked him first,"_ said Leah.

"_Didn't you ask the Cullens about them, Seth?"_ asked Jacob.

Seth whined again and dipped his head low. "_I didn't wanna,"_ he said sheepishly.

"_What's everyone doing?"_ asked Jacob.

Leah 'shrugged'. "_Go ask them," _she said.

Jacob got slowly onto his feet, transformed back, and stumped off towards the house in human form. Leah watched him leave, wondering if he would remember in his advanced state of depression to get dressed. Seeing just how broken he was gave Leah the push to take action. She picked herself up from where she had been laying and began trotting off to where she had left her clothes. She didn't need to tell Seth her plans; he could surely feel them from her mind.

How else would he believe that she was going to talk to Sam, in order to warn him? She could guess that their troubles were far from over.

* * *

It was a little after sundown that Meryl awoke from her nap. She felt rested for the first time in hours, though the recollection of her conversation with Renesmee still stung. She shook her head vigorously, as if to physically force out the memory. Her heritage wasn't a subject she liked to think about.

After getting dressed, Meryl decided to grab a bite to eat and then check in with Aiden for any instructions she might have. She left her room and turned toward the cafeteria, and found Pyrite walking through the halls of the building. Diamond's assistant was moving quickly and hunched low. Remembering the mistreatment Pyrite suffered, and her own desire to help the beleaguered girl, Meryl hastened towards her.

"Hey Pyrite, trying to hide from Diamond?" Meryl called out.

As Meryl had predicted, Pyrite flinched and spun around, a look of shock on her face. Meryl gave her a wide smile, trying to calm the girl. She was relieved to see Pyrite didn't run as she approached. She tried to pat Pyrite on the shoulder, but to her alarm, the girl darted away, as if struck sharply.

Realizing her mistake, Meryl knelt down slowly and held her hands up. "I'm very sorry. I didn't mean to scare you, Pyrite," Meryl said gently. "You don't like other people touching you, do you?"

"N-no. I-I just... can't," mumbled Pyrite.

Meryl nodded and smiled calmly. "I know things are really tough with Diamond right now, but try to keep at it, okay?" she said. "Things are bound to change for the better eventually, right?"

"Are you really sure?" Pyrite asked. Her eyes were dim.

"Absolutely! If nothing else Adella will probably get fed up with Diamond's stupid insults someday and off her," said Meryl.

Pyrite looked momentarily shocked at Meryl, until she broke into clear laughter. Meryl's heart swelled – she could only imagine that laughing wasn't something Pyrite often did. Both dhampirs stood at the same time. Pyrite finally looked to have calmed down.

"But seriously speaking, I'm sure you'll someday find your place," said Meryl. "You've got all the time in the world, after all. Your sisters will come to respect you some day, I bet."

Thinking rapidly, Meryl struck upon an idea. "Are you hungry, by the way? I was about to get something to eat. You can come with me, if you want," she offered.

"Oh, no thank you," said Pyrite. "I was actually in the middle of an errand when you caught me."

Meryl frowned. "I only hope it's a pleasant one," she muttered.

Pyrite smiled ruefully. "I've had worse. Thank you very much for your kind words, Meryl," she added. "To be honest, you're probably the second person in my life who has ever had anything nice to say to me."

It felt to Meryl like her heart had turned to ice. "T-the _second_!?" she cried, aghast.

To Meryl's utter confusion, Pyrite smiled and nodded. "Yes! It feels wonderful to have another nice person in the world," she said. She continued on down the corridor, but paused to look over her shoulder and cry, "I hope to see you again!" Then, she was gone.

Meryl had stood frozen on the spot during Pyrite's departure. She almost didn't recognize it when Aiden approached. He heaved a sigh and muttered "You really shouldn't have done that."

Indignant, Meryl spun and glared at her brother. "Why!? She's obviously suffering! Why hasn't anyone else has tried to reach out to her!?"

Aiden crossed his arms. He avoided looking Meryl in the eye. "Any sort of kindness we can show her will only compound the next round of abuse she suffers at Diamond's hands. It's better to leave her; she's set in her ways. You can tell she's defeated inside. A person like that cannot change their fate."

"But Aiden, that's so cruel!" cried Meryl. "A single act of kindness can change a person's entire outlook!"

"The world _is_ cruel, Meryl," murmured Aiden. He turned away. "We don't have the luxury of being so naive, either," he added as he left his sister behind. Meryl turned and trudged on dejectedly toward the cafeteria, but her appetite was long gone.

* * *

On the roof of the Third Generation's headquarters, Arshaka sat beneath the moonlight, grinning at the sprawling city below.

"You've got to admire people," he said. "We've managed to create a starry earth that blots out the starry sky!"

He looked over his shoulder, to where a figure sat shrouded in darkness. "Makes you feel a little jealous, doesn't it?"

"What is there to be jealous of in humanity?" asked the other. It was a cold feminine voice.

Arshaka laughed and turned around. "All this time I thought the lot of you were a bunch of harmless cuties, but I guess some of you have horns after all."

"Just fulfill your role, Black Sage," said the woman.

Arshaka nodded, his feelings on the subject turning dour. "It's a messy business, you know. I want to be sure you'll live up to your end."

The shadowed figure stirred. With all of the lights on the rooftop out, Arshaka really couldn't make out her figure. "As I promised, I'll break your contract with your Shadow Familiars and restore your memory. _You'll_ have to prove your worth before I can risk sending you after Diamond."

Arshaka laughed and held his right hand high. "I suppose killing Aiden would be impressive, wouldn't it?"

"Make it done, then," said the shadow.

Arshaka chuckled again. "We'll see if Morgan or whoever the hell it was that he worships can bail him out of this," he said, mostly to himself.

The woman stepped into the light, revealing herself to Arshaka's eyes. She was too beautiful to not be a dhampir, but she was neither Diamond, nor any of her bodyguards. Her soft blue hair flowed freely, and her face looked fragile, like a doll's. Her wide eyes complemented the look, giving her a more youthful appearance than the other dhampirs.

"I wouldn't expect such a winsome little girl like you would be so evil," Arshaka teased. "You're almost as bad as me, Topaz."

Topaz smiled darkly and planted her hands on her hips. "That's my best feature, naturally. Who would doubt a cute face like mine?"

Arshaka smirked and nodded. "Well, the deal is set. Let's exchange our vows of revolution!"

"That can wait a moment," Topaz said. She turned and pointed toward the staircase leading into the building. "One of your guards overheard us and is fleeing back inside," she said, frowning.

Arshaka's grin widened, but failed to reach his eyes. "That won't be a problem. Come on, my brothers; time to eat."

Back inside the building, a frightened member of the Third Generation reached the bottom of the stairs. He quickly rushed straight ahead, but he suddenly found himself surrounded by a mass of black creatures. They were innumerable, fading in and out of one another so that it was impossible to make out distinct features of any one of them. The only thing that the creature's victim could clearly make out was their eyes. They were pale yellow spots of light that shone from whatever passed for their heads. Those heads snapped open, to reveal inky black fangs.

His screams were quickly stifled.

* * *

Thanks again for reading :)


	12. Chapter 12

_**Sunspot**_

_Only a few months have passed since the Cullen's encounter with the Volturi, and Renesmee is growing with each passing day. However, she longs to explore the world and find her own destiny. Meanwhile, forever is looking considerably shorter when the winter incident provokes a mysterious organization lurking in the shadows to step into the light... Rated M for character death. Ye be warned._

Disclaimer: Twilight and its peeps belong to Meyer. Only the OC's belong to me.

Author's Note: Thanks again to Aviva Tsuion. A day late, this time; both Tsuion and I were a little busy this week. Sorry about that one!

* * *

_Twelve - Love truth, but pardon error...__  
_

_-Renesmee_

* * *

The night was young when Leah arrived in La Push, but Sam refused to meet with her until he had completed his patrol shift. With nothing better to do, Leah passed the time phased in the woods. Increasing apprehension for her upcoming meeting with Sam left her restless, and the hours passed slowly. Despite her nervousness, she tried to rest, but instead spent most of her time pacing through the trees. Finally, hours later, a great wolf came trotting towards her. Leah blearily glared at him; she had finally begun to nod off.

The wolf – whom she recognized as Paul - simply jerked his head towards her, and then left. Leah took that as a sign that her wait was over. She picked herself up off the ground and changed back into her human form. After getting dressed, she walked down the familiar paths to Sam's house. The short trip felt even longer than the wait.

Emily greeted Leah at the door and let her in. While Sam cleaned himself off, the cousins sat down at the kitchen table over cups of tea. Leah stared determinedly at her cup; she didn't want to see the small bump in Emily's abdomen.

"So," Emily began. She paused a moment to fiddle with her cup. "How are... things?"

"Stimulating," Leah said after a time. Was Sam delaying on _purpose_? "How have you been?"

"Same as ever," said Emily. "Just, just getting the house ready for... little Sam."

"Oh," said Leah. She hesitated a moment, and then quickly took a long drink from her tea. The liquid was still very hot, but the sweetness bothered her more than the heat. It surprised her how quickly she had grown unaccustomed to human food. Leah took her time swallowing the drink.

"So," Leah eventually said, "you thinking about returning to school after things settle down? Get a degree or something?"

"I can't see myself having time for that," said Emily. "Sam's going to need me here... all the boys will, really."

Leah stared harder at her cup. She never imagined her cousin would resign herself to the simple life of a housewife at such a young age.

Sam's heavy footfalls heralded his arrival moments later. Leah was both relieved and troubled to see him. Emily immediately stood and scurried out of sight, and Sam took her abandoned seat.

He looked down, rolling Emily's still-full teacup around on the table. "So, what is it? We heard there was some problem last night."

"A group of people kidnapped the Cullens' little girl," said Leah.

Sam abandoned the cup and leaned in towards Leah. "The one Jacob imprinted on?" he asked.

"Yeah," said Leah.

Sam grimaced and shook his head slowly. "Terrible thing to happen to him. Now I see why he didn't show up in person," he muttered. "Who were the kidnappers? Those vampires from last winter?"

"No, I don't think there's any relation," said Leah. "Aaron was with them."

Sam gave a start, nearly knocking his chair over. "Are you sure!?"

"I saw him myself. He's... very strong now."

"He attacked you?" Sam asked, his voice trembling.

Leah nodded. "To be fair, we attacked first," she said. She paused a moment and sat shivering as phantom pain washed over her. The memory of the lightning coursing through her body made her skin crawl.

Sam's eyes probed Leah. "Why are you telling me this?" he asked.

"He all but said that he wants to come after you," said Leah.

"Why would he want to fight with me?" Sam asked, his tone bewildered.

Leah sighed. "I have no idea, but I think you might be in danger if he catches you. He lear-"

"You don't have to worry about me, I've always been stronger than him," Sam said quickly and confidently. "More importantly, what about the rest of those people? What do they want?"

"We have no idea. I didn't see it myself, but it sounds like they pretty much destroyed the Cullens after a short fight."

Sam stared down at the table. She guessed he was thinking the same thing she had been. The Cullens were one of the strongest groups the wolves knew of, how could they be beaten so easily? It was a rude awakening for both of them. They weren't as untouchable as they had assumed.

"We think they're going to return," Leah added. "I don't think they're just going to kidnap Renesmee and then leave us alone."

"Did you come to warn me or ask me for help?" Sam asked without looking at Leah.

"A little of both."

Sam nodded and stood up. "I'll need some time to think things through," he said slowly. He turned towards the doorway that Emily had gone through, but didn't leave right away. "Thanks for the warning... Leah."

With that, he left. Understanding that her welcome was up, Leah silently left Sam's house behind, taking care to lock the door on her way out. Her half-empty cup of tea steamed silently on the kitchen table.

* * *

_The little girl wondered if she was seeing things when the wood piles were lifted up. Whoever it was shouted in surprise. "A survivor"? Why call her a survivor? Nobody else made it? Mommy...? Daddy...? Tears built up in the girl's eyes. T-they were gone! All gone! Mommy, daddy, everyone, gone! She couldn't believe it, but somehow she felt that it was true._

_A dark shape covered the harsh light up. Warm arms carefully wrapped around her body, bringing her out of the rubble. She was set down on the ground, onto something soft.  
_

_"Don't move her any more until she's been examined!" someone nearby cried. _

_The person, probably a lady from the sound of her voice, put the mouth of a bottle against the little girl's lips. "Sweetie, I'm going to give you a little water. Just enough to wet your mouth, okay? We can't give you too much right away."_

_Why was that? It didn't make any sense, and she was so thirsty... _

_Regardless, the cool liquid felt heavenly in her parched mouth and throat. _

_The woman knelt down on her knees next to the younger girl. She gingerly brushed the little girl's hair out of her face and then placed a damp cloth over her forehead. "My name is Adella Allington," she said. "Can you speak, sweetie? Can you tell me your name?"_

"_Lelu," the little girl whispered._

"_I'm happy to-"_

Something shifted in Lelu's room, waking the Black Disciple. She bolted upright in her bed and immediately flipped the lights on. Nothing – she was alone. Lelu sat motionless for a while, silently examining her room while her heart hammered. One minute, two minutes, time felt tortuously slow. Eventually, Lelu was forced to accept that even if there had been an intruder in her room, they were long gone now.

Heaving a sigh, Lelu turned the lights off and lay back down onto her bed. Her fears slowly edged their way out of her mind, and were replaced by the memories of her dream. Sorrow began to well up within Lelu, driving her out of bed. She needed to go for a walk, if a short one; there was no way she'd be able to fall asleep in her present condition.

After throwing on some clothes, she slipped out into the halls. At that time of the night, everyone but the guards were sleeping, and most of the lights had been turned off. The building was silent and dark, ominously so. Lelu shivered involuntarily as she walked through the halls. She hadn't forgotten that Diamond's underlings were still around, and who knew if they were sleeping.

As Lelu draw near an intersection, she began to hear approaching footsteps. She froze and edged toward the shadows. Whoever was heading her way was coming with a purpose – they were walking too quickly to be merely on patrol. Could she risk trying to sneak out of sight? Could she risk not? She stood there frozen, her back against the wall.

The footsteps got closer. She didn't move. Out of the shadows strode Eun-mi. Lelu let out a breath of relief.

The Green Disciple scanned the intersection for a moment, and her eyes fell quickly upon Lelu. Eun-mi looked surprised for a moment, before her eyes narrowed into a glare. "What are you doing, wandering around at night?" she asked.

"How about you, Eun-mi?" asked Lelu.

Eun-mi arched one of her brows. "I'm on watch. Did you forget? I heard someone in the corridor and came to investigate."

Eun-mi was right; she had been assigned to cover the watch between Arshaka and Sergei's shifts.

"Well, it's not like we have a curfew, you know," Lelu grumbled.

"True, but nobody should be out alone when we've got Diamond and her entourage sneaking around," said Eun-mi.

Lelu shook her head and threw her hands up. "Something woke me up and I couldn't get back to sleep," she said.

Eun-mi's irritation immediately evaporated, and was replaced with a concerned look. "Did somebody break into your room?" she asked urgently.

Lelu's eyes widened in surprise. "Well, someone might have, but by the time I was awake there was nobody else in my room," she said.

Eun-mi looked off into the distance for a moment. "One of the guards never reported back from his shift on the helipad," she eventually said.

"Was he attacked?" asked Lelu.

"No idea," said Eun-mi. "We can't find any sign of him. I ordered all patrols to double-up, and I'm going to suggest that Sergei do the same." She paused and caught Lelu's eye. "I think that should include watch officers as well," she added.

Catching Eun-mi's hint, Lelu sighed in relief and walked to her side. "If you're feeling lonely, I'll keep you company for a few hours."

Eun-mi nodded and turned away. "I would very much like that. I'll rest easier when these damn dhampirs are gone," she muttered.

"Me too," Lelu added quietly.

Eun-mi, evidently thinking that their conversation was complete, turned and began to patrol the corridors once again. Lelu spent a while watching the Green Disciple in silence. Eun-mi hadn't been among the Third Generation for as long as Lelu had, but she had garnered a much stronger reputation though the ranks. She was known for her efficiency and seriousness in the line of duty. Although Lelu had been allowed to help Eun-mi with the watch, the Green Disciple didn't try to engage Lelu in conversation. She wasn't making it easy for Lelu to gauge her character – or rather, her loyalties.

She'd have to be more direct.

"Hey, Eun-mi," Lelu called out.

"What is it?" asked Eun-mi.

"What do you think of Huihana?" asked Lelu.

Eun-mi glared suspiciously at Lelu. "She's a sage, but she's not my sage, and she's not Adella. I'll follow her orders when appropriate, but she's not my mentor," she said.

Lelu nodded, not entirely surprised by the disciples' bluntness. Eun-mi's short response told Lelu everything she needed to know, and so calmed her worries. The Green disciple was no danger to the Twelve Sides. She spent the rest of the night trailing after Eun-mi, attempting to coax the Green Disciple into more casual conversation.

* * *

Like a particularly heinous morning mist, Diamond and her entourage had vanished with the sunrise. They simply left without explanation before the first watch of the day. Although mystified, the members of the Third Generation didn't bother hiding their relief that their superiors were gone.

Unlike the others, Meryl had rather less reason to be pleased that morning. Almost as soon as she finished her breakfast, she received orders to report to Adella's room. The unexpected command immediately made Meryl nervous; she couldn't imagine that Adella would call her so urgently for any reason that bode well for her.

Meryl soon reached Adella's room and found the door ajar. Just like her, the "mother" of the twelve sides stayed in a room that was definitely an office at one point – it was small and furnished only with a desk, a number of file cabinets, and a bed in the corner. Adella herself was seated at the far end of the desk, looking over a number of papers. Meryl nervously cleared her throat to announce her arrival. Sure enough, the White Sage's eyes narrowed the moment they fell upon Meryl. Her heart hammering, Meryl let herself in and sat at the opposite end of the desk.

With a sigh, Adella set down her forms and stared across the desk at Meryl. After a long and awkward silence, she finally said, "Hello Meryl. Welcome to your first day in 'avoiding foolish decisions, 101',"

Adella's tone was even, but Meryl almost wished she would yell. The cold disappointment in Adella's voice stung worse than screams possibly could. "Classroom size won't be a problem this semester, seeing as how you're the only registered student," Adella continued.

Meryl simply winced and bowed her head.

"Look up at me, Meryl," Adella said firmly. Meryl did as ordered, as much as she wished she didn't. Some part of her simply wouldn't allow her to defy the White Sage. "I suppose you're aware that, ordinarily, it would Aiden reprimanding you instead of me," said Adella. "I don't suppose you know why I decided to forgo the ordinary channels?"

"B-because Aiden would go easy on me," Meryl mumbled.

"Yes," said Adella. "That's exactly right. Meryl, I agreed with Aiden's request to make you his disciple after reviewing your performance in last summer's fighting across Asia and Africa. I understand that you're still new to this compared to Lelu or even Sergei, but I expect better from my Disciples. Your hasty and foolish decision to rush the retrieval of the Cullens' daughter could have ended in the death of your entire team. You understand this, don't you?"

"Y-yes," Meryl said quietly. "It nearly did..."

Adella folded her hands on the table and looked into Meryl's eyes. "Do you think disciplinary action would be appropriate?"

Meryl gave an unsteady nod.

"You're an honest woman, so I'm asking you. What do you think would be best?"

Meryl's heart sank. She understood what was coming. After all the time Aiden spent vouching for her, she'd let him down, failed him. She'd been given her chance as the Red Disciple, and blew it. She knew exactly what Adella wanted her to say.

And worst of all, Meryl knew she deserved it. "I should be demoted," she said, her voice choked with emotion.

"Perhaps," said Adella. Then, to Meryl's complete surprise, she smiled. "However, you owned up to your mistake; a lesson even more experienced individuals than you could do well to learn. You won't be demoted, though I expect you won't make the same mistake again."

Meryl could only stare at Adella in utter bewilderment.

"You may be headstrong, but you're also honest," said Adella. "If nothing else, I feel you've adequately reflected on your mistakes. If you had attempted to make excuses I would certainly have called for a new Red Disciple. Next time, I must urge you to consult one of the sages before you take action, do you understand me? I won't go easy on you again."

Meryl nodded, thoroughly overwhelmed. "Thank you," she whispered.

"That still leaves the outstanding matter of your punishment," Adella added. "You're confined to this building for the next thirty days, unless I find a reason to send you on a mission."

"I understand," said Meryl. She accepted the punishment wholeheartedly – thirty days confinement was nothing to the disgrace of demotion.

"On the subject of the little girl," Adella said casually as she turned her attention to her papers. "After she's eaten, bring her here. I need to speak with her, now that our beloved supervisors have seen fit to leave us alone."

Stifling a laugh – half of relief and half of amusement – Meryl acknowledged the order and left. On her way back to her room, Meryl walked with a newfound spring in her step.

* * *

Renesmee had spent the first hour or two of her time alone crying in her bed,certain she would never see her family again. After a while her panicking tired her out, and eventually she was able to calm down. Once she had her head on straight, she was able to think things through. She wouldn't just give up. She would fight.

For the next few hours she directed her energy to trying to find some way to escape from the room. Unfortunately, the Twelve Sides knew what they were doing, and had left no escape route the young girl could see. Once she finally ruled out escaping, Renesmee decided to save her energy and wait for the right opportunity. She was brought dinner shortly after that. The food they provided her was decent, at least. There was no sense in starving to death before she had the chance to return to her family.

Once she was finished eating, Renesmee decided to turn in for the night. She wanted to be well-rested for whatever came next.

In the morning, Renesmee remembered her planned meeting with Meryl's leader. She was frightened at first, but as the morning went on she became more and more eager. It was her best opportunity to learn something more about the people who had attacked her family. Perhaps she could find some opportunity to escape.

Meryl returned before Renesmee became too impatient. Still, she practically leaped off of her bed as Meryl entered her room.

Meryl paused, and gave Renesmee a curious look. "You're awfully excited today. What're you up to?" she asked.

"I want to see your leader already," said Renesmee.

"Well that's good, because she's ready to see you now," said Meryl.

She held out her hand towards Renesmee. The little dhampir placed her own hand in Meryl's without hesitation. Meryl left the room, taking Renesmee with her. Her grip on Renesmee's hand was firm, but not to the point of hurting her,

"Don't try to escape, Renesmee," Meryl said over her shoulder.

"I know," said Renesmee. Her gut response had been to run and never look back, but she had realized the night before that trying to run away without any idea of where she was would be a bad move. She was just as likely to get lost and die as she was to reach safety.

Meryl led Renesmee to a simple office room and sat her down in front of a desk. At the opposite end was a woman – doubtlessly the leader of Meryl's group. Renesmee's first impression of the woman was somewhat disarming. She had expected a much harsher-looking individual, but the leader's warm smile took her by surprise.

Before she realized it, she was being offered the woman's hand. Renesmee stared briefly at it but didn't take it.

Apparently unbothered, the woman let her hand drop. "Hello, little one. My name is Adella Allington," she said.

Renesmee looked over her shoulder for Meryl, but found her fellow dhampir gone. Renesmee turned her gaze slowly on Adella once more. "I'm Renesmee," she said.

"I must apologize for the manner-"

"I don't accept your apology for kidnapping me," Renesmee said quickly.

"I suppose I can't blame you," said Adella.

"Why did you do it? Why kidnap me?" demanded Renesmee. It was all she could do to remain seated.

"We needed information from you," said Adella. "Little girl, we understand that a certain incident happened in Washington state last winter. Would you care to tell me exactly what happened?"

Renesmee crossed her arms and glared at Adella. "Maybe if you tell me who you are, first," she said.

Adella cocked her head for a moment, and then nodded. "Very well. As I said, my name is Adella Allington. I am the leader of the group of these people. We call ourselves the Twelve Sides."

Renesmee scoffed. That was uninformative... "What do you do?" she asked.

"We hunt and slay vampires, dear," said Adella.

Renesmee jumped to her feet, knocking her chair over in the process. She hurried toward the door, only to find it locked. Try as she might, she couldn't simply force it open either. Now trapped, she backed into a corner and stared wide-eyed at Adella.

"It was all a lie, wasn't it!?" she demanded. "Meryl said you weren't going to hurt me! I'm sure you know what I am: I'm half-vampire!"

"So is Meryl, but obviously she's still alive," said Adella.

"So? She's one of you and I'm not! How do I know you didn't just bring me here to kill me?" asked Renesmee.

Adella stood up slowly and circled her desk, but she didn't come any closer to Renesmee. "Renesmee, please calm down," said Adella. "We're not going to hurt you. We wouldn't do it even if you were a full vampire."

"Why not? You just said you kill vampires!" cried Renesmee.

"We only slay vampires that are a threat to human lives," said Adella. "We know some things about you, Renesmee, and we know you're a good girl. You feed on the blood of animals; we know you wouldn't willingly hurt humans."

Renesmee calmed down a little as she thought of her first meeting with Meryl. She and her friend had reacted strangely when Rosalie pretended to be attacking one of the convention-goers. They must have though she was actually going to attack the guest. It was possible that Adella was telling the truth. Besides...

Renesmee grinned ruefully. If they wanted to kill her, they'd probably have done so already.

She was no longer panicking, but Renesmee remained firmly on her feet. "Ok, so I'm fine, but what about my family?" she asked.

"Our goal is not to cause genocide, Renesmee," said Adella. "We'd be no better than the very worst vampires if that were the case. We reserve execution for cases of immediate need, or for vampires who refuse to surrender. In general we prefer to approach each vampire on a case by case basis. Therefore, we take great care in cataloguing the activities of all vampires we're aware of."

_Cataloguing_? Renesmee's insides writhed as she came to understand the mean behind the word. Her family had been observed, and she had no idea for how long. She wrapped her arms around her sides and shivered involuntarily.

Adella had returned to her own side of the desk and sat down. She spent a few moments looking through some of her files. Eventually, she singled one out and began reading it. "Now, on the subject of your family," she began. "I'm certain you are worried for your vampiric relatives. Your grandfather and grandmother on your mother's side are obviously not even within our consideration. We don't police humans. Your grandfather and mother have never killed anyone. There would be no need to do anything more than observe them; they require no punishment from us."

"Observe?" asked Renesmee.

Adella lowered her papers and caught Renesmee's eye. "Of course, we cannot risk vampires roaming free to do as they wish without being watched, they're far too dangerous. All vampires that are not slated for execution are observed as a matter of policy," Adella said casually. "Your aunts, your grandmother and your youngest uncle's records are a little worse than your mother's. I believe your family calls it 'falling off the bandwagon'. The fact that they did not actively plan to feed from humans would have some relevance in their particular cases."

Adella paused and silently read through the papers in front of her. As the silence dragged on, Renesmee's impatience began to boil over. What was so important that she had stopped in the middle of talking about harming her _family_!

"What about it?" Renesmee eventually demanded.

Adella looked back up at Renesmee. The young dhampire instinctively flinched, expecting Adella to reply in anger, but the woman's expression was still calm. "If they were willing to surrender and cooperate with us, they could probably be let off after a light sentence," said Adella.

Renesmee glared at Adella. "Imprisonment?" she asked.

Adella smiled back. "I would think more along the lines of community service," she said.

"What about my dad?" Renesmee asked pointedly.

Adella's smile faded. "Yes. I'll be honest with you; he and your other uncle both have very bad cases. Your uncle spent a long time eating humans, and your father fed from humans in open defiance with the prospect of living off the blood of animals. I cannot say on good faith that they could be pardoned without discussing the matter with my other followers."

Renesmee glared silently at Adella for a while, though she finally sat down again. Renesmee sat for a few more minutes, breathing heavily, while she tried to calm herself down. "You haven't told me much aside from what you do," she said.

Adella placed her hands on her lap and looked closely at Renesmee for a short while. Renesmee flinched in her chair; it felt like Adella's eyes were probing into her.

Eventually, Adella nodded. "I will tell you a little more, but you must understand that there is a limit to what I can explain to outsiders," she said. "The entire organization that I belong is called the Shadow Watch Order. All of us here belong to the Third Generation, the lowest branch of the Order. I am the leader of the Twelve Sides, the group that runs the Third Generation. Meryl and Lelu, whom you already met, are my subordinates."

"Lelu? Was she the other girl with Meryl?" asked Renesmee.

"Yes," said Adella. She leaned in a little closer. "I believe it's my turn to ask a question, don't you think?"

Renesmee hesitated briefly and then nodded.

"Last winter, the Volturi attacked your family, yes?" asked Adella.

Renesmee nodded again.

"Do you know why?" asked Adella, this time more urgently.

Renesmee began fidgeting with her hands and looked at her feet. "They wanted to kill me," she said.

Adella closed her hands over Renesmee's. Renesmee gasped and looked up, a little startled by their warmth. She was used to human's hands being cold to the touch. "I promise you, the Volturi will not be allowed to act as they see fit for much longer," Adella said sternly. "The foremost goal of the Order is to eliminate the Volturi family. Every one of them shows a reckless disregard for human life. they are our dear enemies. I want you to believe that."

"They didn't understand what I am," explained Renesmee. "They were scared of me! They wanted to _kill me_ and punish my family just because I was different! Please, you have to stop them!"

"That's enough," Adella said firmly. "You've already told me enough for now; I won't push you any harder. Meryl will take you back to your room, where you can rest."

Adella rose onto her feet and walked around the table towards Renesmee. Adella patted the young dhampir on the shoulder, and then helped her back up.

Renesmee looked down at her feet and rubbed her eyes dry. "Thanks," she mumbled.

"I would also like to thank you, Renesmee, for being so cooperative," said Adella. She gently lifted Renesmee's head up, and smiled reassuringly at her. "Helping us will help to see the Volturi struck down. It will also reflect positively on your family. I hope that you believe me when I tell you that we'd prefer not to slay them.

Renesmee looked deeply into Adella's eyes, pleading silently for mercy on her family. Adella's expression remained unchanging, leaving Renesmee to doubt if she had had any effect on the White Sage.

"Do you mind coming to see me again tomorrow so that I can ask you a few more questions?" asked Adella.

"The Twelve Sides" had kidnapped her, hurt her family and were threatening to continue hurting them. For all she knew every single thing Adella had said to her was a lie. But she _wanted_ it to be true. In that moment, with so much uncertainty and confusion in her life, Renesmee could only hope that the Twelve Sides were as noble as they claimed. If they weren't, Renesmee and her family could very well have been doomed. Her doubts momentarily calmed, Renesmee nodded to Adella.

"Thank you," said Adella. Renesmee could only wonder if Adella's smile was genuine.

Adella took Renesmee by the hand and guided the young girl back into the hallways. Meryl was waiting outside, and silently took Renesmee from Adella. While the dhampirs set off down the halls, Adella turned back into her office. Adella didn't bat an eyelash when Lelu appeared out of thin air. The Black Disciple leaned against the wall, her eyes on the floor.

"I didn't like spying on the poor girl like that," she said.

Adella let out a long sigh, and sank into her chair. "I know, Lelu," said Adella. "Neither do I, but we do what we must. What did you make of her? You've seen her before"

"She wasn't being completely open with you," Lelu said instantly. "When I first saw her, she didn't hesitate when she spoke. When her parents confronted her she was very open with them. It kinda reminded me of Meryl. There were a lot of points when she spoke with you that she clammed up – I suspect she was doing some heavy thinking."

"I agree," said Adella. "The girl has no reason to believe anything we say. To be perfectly honest, I would rather she take time to trust us. She would have to be dangerously naive or foolish to act otherwise. Of course, she might want our intentions to be as pure as I claimed. That would be understandable."

"Faith and hope," mumbled Lelu. A moment later, Lelu gasped and looked up. "There was something else. I spoke with Meryl last night at dinner. She said that Renesmee said she wanted to go back to her family, mentioning each of them one-by-one. For some reason she mentioned one of the native American shape-shifters."

"I'll ask Aaron about that," said Adella. "Maybe he would understand more..."

Lelu looked back down again. "I could tell that she was afraid for her family. Especially when you mentioned we might have to execute her father; her eyes went wide as saucers," she murmured.

Adella stood and began to slowly pace her room. "She's never seen what sort of atrocities vampires can unleash. It's understandable that someone so innocent wouldn't understand why we need to be harsh," she said.

Adella paused and looked at Lelu. The Black Disciple's face had gone pale, and her hands were clenched tight at her sides. "Ah, I'm so sorry, Lelu. My mind wandered, forgive me."

"N-no, don't worry about it. It can't be helped now," said Lelu.

"Please, go get some rest and take your mind off of it," said Adella. "Send for someone to fetch Aaron, please. I would like to speak with him about the shape shifter."

Lelu nodded and left the room without another word. Adella sat down at her desk and continued her work.

After roughly twenty minutes, Aaron knocked and showed himself inside. He sat down in front of Adella, fidgeting slightly in his chair. "Something you need from me, mom?" he asked.

"Yes, Aaron, thank you for coming to see me on such short notice," said Adella. "The young girl Renesmee seems to consider one of the shape-shifters to be family. I find it a little unusual that she would feel so close to an individual that isn't a vampire. Do you happen to have any ideas?"

Aaron frowned. "Yeah, I think I know what's wrong," Aaron said, his tone bitter. "why I wear this blindfold all the time."

"And To be perfectly honest I thought it was your way of showing off," said Adella with a slight smile.

"I only wish that was the reason," muttered Aaron.

"Since our transformation is a blood thing, it turns out we have a sort of built-in instinct to ensure the survival of our bloodlines. For each of us, there's a special girl out there _somewhere_ in the world, and once we lock eyes with them we're hooked on them for life."

The look on Adella's face was calm, but her hands were clasped tightly together. "And what of the girl?"

Aaron laughed bitterly. "As if the poor thing has a choice in the matter. It's all fate and genetics. I saw a nice woman get her face torn off by my old alpha because she wouldn't return his..." he hesitated a moment, "feelings."

"_That's_ why I wear this blindfold," he added, pointing to it. "To hell with getting my right to choose stolen, and stealing some innocent girl's future. A fool might call it love at first sight or soul mates... I just call it sick and twisted."

Adella closed her eyes firmly. "Then I must commend you for wearing that blindfold. Please never take it off," she said thickly.

"That's the plan, mom," said Aaron.

Adella heaved a sigh and stood. "Thank you, Aaron, you may go," she said.

Aaron stood silently, bowed briefly towards Adella, and left the room. Adella stared silently out her window for some time.

* * *

Bella sat in a large chair, idly watching the ceiling of the Cullen house. Reliving old memories of her young daughter had become too painful for her to endure, which left her with absolutely nothing to do but wait. Edward wasn't going to return for over a week, so she had no support at all to protect her from the pain of her loss. With so many people gone, the house was desolate and empty.

Just as her life had become.

Suddenly, someone began to knock loudly at the front door of the house. Thinking that perhaps Edward had returned early, Bella leaped to her feet. The prospect of seeing her other half brought some life back to Bella, and she hurried to the door at speeds that even a vampire would call fast. After what seemed like an eternity to her, she reached the door and wrenched it open, certain that she would see Edward's perfect face in front of her. Her heart fell; it was only Charlie.

Bella's energy vanished in an instant, replaced by a fresh surge of depression. "Hey dad, what's up?" she asked numbly.

Charlie at first had a calm but grim look on his face, but his eyes quickly widened in horror. "Bella? You look terrible! What happened to you?" he asked.

"Thanks dad. You're such a charmer," said Bella.

"What're those marks on your face?" Charlie urged. "Tell me what happened, Bella. Did someone attack you?"

"No, it's," Bella mumbled. She couldn't tell him... Charlie couldn't know.

Charlie took a step forward, and grabbed Bella firmly by the shoulders. "Where's Renesmee, is she okay?" he asked.

"She... she." She what? She was gone. _Gone_...

The last of Bella's strength and restraint failed. She collapsed into her father's arms, dry-sobbing into his chest. "She's gone! She was taken from us two nights ago!" she cried.

Charlie held his daughter in his arms and rubbed her back, gnashing his teeth at the thought of his granddaughter being kidnapped.

"I'm so sorry that this had to happen to you, baby," he said softly, though his tone hinted at barely-restrained rage. "Don't worry, Bella, they're not going to get away with this. I promise you; we'll get her back."

Bella remained in her father's embrace for a few more moments. His words brought some comfort to her, even if she knew that he had no way to make good on them. For the past few hours, the Cullens had been treating Bella with kid gloves, leaving her to her own devices. Bella herself hadn't realized how lonely she had been; she wanted somebody there with her, to tell her everything would be okay.

Charlie pushed Bella away gently, and then looked into her eyes. "You listen to me, Bella. We WILL get her back, I promise you."

Charlie took a few deep breaths. "Now, why the devil didn't you tell me what had happened right away? It's crucial that we start an investigation immediately, Bella. I'm surprised you didn't have more sense than this," he said, not unkindly.

Bella shook her head quickly. "No dad, you absolutely can't get involved in this!" she cried. Her well-meaning but foolish father was only going to endanger himself for her sake; she couldn't let him do that. There was nothing a human could do to help...

"Bella, Renesmee is my granddaughter too. You can't ask or expect me to just do nothing," Charlie said firmly. "I know you're in a lot of pain right now, but you have to trust me. I'm an officer, remember? This kind of thing is part of my job."

Why didn't he understand that this was over his head? "Dad, this is beyond what you're capable of," Bella said urgently. "We already tried to pick up Renesmee's trail, and we got nowhere. The police won't be able to do anything, and the people who took her are dangerous."

Charlie shook his head tiredly. "Is this a vampire sort of thing?" he asked.

Bella gasped in surprise, unsure how to respond. _How_ had he known? For how _long_ had he known? Nobody should have told him the truth...

"Honey, why didn't you just tell me the truth?" he asked. Bella looked at him dully, still in shock. His eyes were begging her for an answer. "Were you afraid that I would hate your because you were a vampire? Sue told me everything, including the part where you only feeding from animals. Bella, I'll always be there for you, no matter what you are. Nothing can stop me from being your father."

"Mr. Swan, it wasn't that way at all," a soft female called out. Bella looked over her shoulder, and saw Esme approaching.

"Bella wasn't afraid _of_ you; she was afraid _for_ you," explained Esme.

Charlie looked at Esme, his expression puzzled. "She doesn't have to worry about me," he said.

"I do, dad," mumbled Bella. "You're in danger now.

"I'm afraid she does have a good reason to worry," said Esme. "In our world there are certain rules. The first and foremost law is not to tell humans that we exist. If the Volturi – the ruling vampires – discover that you know about us, they'll force us to either turn you into one of us," Esme paused, "or kill you."

Charlie's face paled just a little. "Oh," he mumbled, clearly at a loss for words.

"Bella didn't tell you about Renesmee's kidnapping out of concern for your safety," added Esme. "I don't want to insult you, but you must understand that there is very little that ordinary humans or the police can do against a vampire. The people who took Renesmee had strange abilities. They're our equals, if not stronger."

Charlie's face fell. "So you're saying there's nothing I can do to help get my granddaughter back?" he asked, his voice thick with emotion.

"Aside from give your daughter your support and keeping yourself safe, I'm afraid you're cannot help us," said Esme.

"Okay, Bella, you win," Charlie said slowly. He lifted Bella's head up and looked into her eyes again. The forceful look in them surprised Bella. It was as if she were back in his house again, being punished for some misdeed. "I want to be kept in the loop. No more secrets, okay? The minute you hear anything about Renesmee, you tell me straight away, all right?"

"If it would please you, you're welcome to stay here with us until Renesmee has been found," said Esme. "That'll be the quickest way for you receive news, and I think Bella could use your support to help her cope."

Charlie looked down at Bella. "Did you hear what Esme suggested, Bella? What do you think?"

Bella slowly looked up into her father's eyes – and nodded. She couldn't deny it. In that moment, she needed him. "Please. At least I'll know where you are, and that you're safe."

"I would suggest that you stay close to Jacob or one of the family once the guests start arriving," Esme said delicately.

"Guests?" asked Charlie.

"We'll need help getting Renesmee back, after all," said Esme.

Bella glanced over her shoulder towards Esme once more. The Cullen's matriarch was smiling, but her mirth didn't reach her eyes.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Sunspot**_

_Only a few months have passed since the Cullen's encounter with the Volturi, and Renesmee is growing with each passing day. However, she longs to explore the world and find her own destiny. Meanwhile, forever is looking considerably shorter when the winter incident provokes a mysterious organization lurking in the shadows to step into the light... Rated M for character death. Ye be warned._

Disclaimer: Twilight and its peeps belong to Meyer. Only the OC's belong to me.

Author's Note: Thanks again to Aviva Tsuion for her work. Sorry about the delay since last chapter. I'm actually in the process of getting ready to move, so all my stories will probably be put in a little slower for a while.

* * *

Renesmee said nothing on the way back to her room. The young dhampir stared at her feet, eyes narrowed, while Meryl led her by the hand. Meryl glanced at her several times along the way. Different questions or things to say came to the forefront of Meryl's mind, but ultimately she remained just as silent. Renesmee was clearly lost in her own thoughts. She needed time to sort things through on her own.

Upon returning to her room, Renesmee flopped on her bed. She lay there, almost motionless, staring at the roof.

Meryl stood near the door, feeling increasingly awkward as minutes passed. She found herself wondering if the young dhampire was even aware of her presence. Eventually, she cleared her throat and asked, "Is there anything you'd like me to get you?"

"You fought my family the night you kidnapped me, right?" Renesmee asked quietly.

Meryl was taken aback by Renesmee's calm tone. Still she replied without hesitation, "Yes."

"Did you hurt them?"

Pausing a moment to consider her answer, Meryl sat down at the table to stall for time. "Yes, we were fighting them," she eventually said.

Renesmee bolted upright and looked at Meryl, her eyes wide and pleading. "You didn't kill them, did you?"

"No, we didn't. They're all fine," said Meryl.

Renesmee closed her eyes in unmistakable relief, and lay back down. "Are you planning to hurt them later?"

"I'd like not to," said Meryl.

In truth, her words were hollow. She knew from reports that the Cullens had a history of killing innocent people. Edward and Jasper, in particular, had killed enough people to be marked for death if they hadn't turned to vegetarianism. Her blood burned as she glared down at the table.

She forced her eyes shut in a vain attempt to clear her mind. It was times like these when she understood her brother's anger and his zeal to punish, exterminate, avenge those so brutally murdered - _No_! The vampires were living, thinking, once human. They were the family of the young, innocent girl before her - a dhampire, like herself. Their job was to _protect_ people, not seek retribution for their deaths. Vampires had to be held accountable for their crimes, but if Meryl let herself give in to hatred and bloodlust, then she'd be no better.

She only hoped she could live up those lofty ideals...

* * *

Chapter Thirteen:

-Meryl

A trying day,

emotional and physical trials.

* * *

Renesmee had been silent as war raged in Meryl's mind. Meryl stared, wondering what the little girl had been thinking about.

Finally, Meryl forced herself to explain, "It all depends on whether they attack us first. Our enemies are the Volturi."

"What if I warned them?" asked Renesmee. "S-say I called them and let them know I'm okay. If I told them that you're only doing this to fight the Volturi, my family might not hold it against you! You could even work together – the Volturi would go down easily, wouldn't they?"

Pity welled up within Meryl. The desperate look in Renesmee's eyes gave her away. For all that her suggestion was simple and logical, she really only wanted to speak with her family. That much was obvious. How could Meryl deny such a simple desire?

The Red Disciple grit her teeth and looked away. She felt disgusted and unworthy to even look Renesmee in the face. She had to deny Renesmee's request, simply because she knew Adella and Aiden would _never_ authorize it. She knew that the request would be denied because they couldn't trust that Renesmee wouldn't reveal anything about them. Even the slightest bit of information could prove dangerous. Meryl understood this, and yet she still felt sick with herself for denying Renesmee.

Renesmee didn't urge Meryl on. She simply uttered a choked sob, clearly understanding the meaning behind Meryl's silence. Meryl looked up wistfully, her mind wandering. Partly to console herself, Meryl considered the fact that she didn't really know Renesmee. The little girl _could_ have been putting on a _very_ convincing act. After all, if their conditions had been reversed, Meryl would do everything in her power to subvert her captors, even play on their pity. Meryl looked back down, her resolve a little clearer. She couldn't afford to take Renesmee lightly, not until she understood the young dhampir's character better.

"Would you feel better if we talked a little? It might take your mind off of things," said Meryl. "I can't imagine you're very fond of me, but this probably is the first time you've met another of our kind."

Renesmee silently threw her arm up in a sort of shrug. Meryl watched Renesmee carefully, trying to gauge her level of interest. Renesmee might have been hoping to glean as much information about her kidnappers as she could. Meryl had to decide for herself whether the girl's motives were as pure as they seemed, and the quickest way to do that would be to engage her in a personal discussion. At the moment, Renesmee was looking at the roof, rather than Meryl.

"Mo – Adella assigned me to watch after you," Meryl said, trying to sound casual. "We'll probably be seeing each other for a while, so it might make things less awkward if you knew a little about me."

"What's it like, being an adult?" Renesmee asked, her tone hollow.

"I'm not an adult," Meryl said, chuckling ruefully.

Renesmee turned and glared at Meryl. "I thought you said you're twenty-three? Was that another lie?"

Meryl struggled not to let her irritation show. "I am, but my body isn't," she said. "Seventeen years old is not fully grown. Hell, Lelu looks older than I do. I can't even get drunk without somebody examining my - obviously fake - ID."

Renesmee shrugged. "My mom likes being nineteen forever."

"Your mom's an idiot," Meryl said dully. "Nobody takes teenagers seriously. My body's going to be stuck on the tail end of its development forever." She glanced up at Renesmee. "Yours too, as a matter of fact. Don't mention that one to Lelu please. She'd probably grieve the loss of whatever the hell potential cup-size I might have grown into."

Renesmee gave the smallest of laughs and turned her gaze back to the roof. After a pause she said, "You're awfully bitter about it all."

Meryl scoffed. "Well gee, I suppose it can't be because I'll outlive my brother, my friends, and whatever other human relationships I could ever possibly hope to make, would it?" she snapped. A moment later, she sighed and collapsed over the table. "Sorry, shouldn't take it out on you. My story isn't quite as peachy as yours."

Renesmee rolled her eyes. "Yeah, getting kidnapped is just sweet," she said.

Meryl winced in frustration. "That's completely unrelated to my problems. What I meant was that the people you care about are immortal. You won't have to worry about them dying from age."

"Are we playing loser poker now?" asked Renesmee. "For all I know everyone I care about is going to be murdered soon." She rolled over on her belly and watched Meryl, her head propped up on her arms. Meryl's little talk with Renesmee was getting her riled up, and the little dhampir almost seemed to be enjoying it.

"Have you ever drunk blood?" asked Renesmee.

Meryl propped her head up on her hands and glared at Renesmee. "Have you ever eaten real food?" she asked.

Both girls answered no. "There's no reason for me to drink blood," snapped Meryl. "I was raised a human, and I'm a human at heart. I'm not a monster to go suck the life out of things for food."

Renesmee sat up, her face red. "If you think I enjoy feeding on animals, you're wrong!" she said quickly. "My mom's horrible about it: she doesn't even kill the poor things first! She just lets them thrash around as she sucks their blood!"

Meryl sat back, surprised by Renesmee's outburst. "S-sorry," she said, "I just thought-"

"That I wouldn't care?" asked Renesmee. "I always make sure to first kill animals quickly and cleanly If I decide to drink from them. Having to watch an animal die to make the meat you eat would probably turn you into a vegetarian quicker than you could blink. I learned that quickly enough."

Meryl said nothing. She hadn't even realized that she had made suppositions about Renesmee's character without meaning to. She was so used to vampires not carrying about drinking the blood of humans, how was she to know there existed a half-vampire who didn't even like to kill animals?

Renesmee paused a moment, breathing heavily. "I've eaten a few things here and there," she said, her voice calmer. "Mom and dad seemed to think it made more sense if I just drank animal blood like them, I never went hungry, but sometimes I wanted to try actual food."

"Never drinking blood made it easy to resist any desire for it," said Meryl. "Someone can be bleeding to death in front of me and I won't feel the slightest urge to feed from them. I know from experience," she added, frowning.

"I guess that makes sense," Renesmee said after a pause. "You said you were raised among humans? What happened to your parents?" she asked. "Did your mom..." Her face fell and she looked away.

Meryl's insides writhed. She slumped down, face-first, onto the table. "I split my poor mom open like a bad fruit the day I was born," Meryl said thickly. "There were no vampires around to try to turn her. We female dhampirs don't carry venom, and she was too far gone for any of our medics to do a thing about it."

"I'm sorry," Renesmee said softly.

Meryl could guess that Renesmee was basking in relief or gratitude. No matter how stupid Bella was, she was still alive. She was still there for Renesmee.

"My brother raised me, mostly," said Meryl. "He was young himself at the time, but you understand what I mean. My father was never around. 'Brandon' is my mother's last name."

Renesmee sat up and frowned at Meryl. "Your brother?" she asked slowly.

"Half-brother," said Meryl. "Our mother's name was Amy Brandon. My brother's father was Cian Connolly."

"That's a strange name," said Renesmee.

"It's Irish," said Meryl. "My brother's name is Aiden. He was born in Ireland but didn't grow up there."

Renesmee leaned closer, her expression curious. "Where's Cian now?" she asked.

"I have no idea. I heard he vanished when Aiden was four," Meryl said, shrugging. "Aiden gets angry whenever his father is brought up."

"What's your brother like?"

"He's my superior. He's... very hot-blooded."

Renesmee crossed her arms. "Towards vampires?" she asked.

"Yes," Meryl said sullenly. "He's one of the more unforgiving members of the Third Generation."

Renesmee wrapped her arms around herself. It was a subtle motion: Meryl almost failed to notice it. "I see," she said quietly.

"Don't worry, he won't hurt you," Meryl said quickly. "Nobody around here will, I promise."

Renesmee looked into Meryl's eyes. Meryl felt as if she were being probed, but didn't balk. "Do you promise me? For real this time, no lies," asked Renesmee.

"I do," said Meryl.

Renesmee's arms fell to her sides, and she looked away. "Thank you," she whispered.

Renesmee lay on her back once again, staring at the roof. After a few moments of silence, Meryl began to suspect that the conversation had ended. Renesmee had definitely been engaged their conversation, but Meryl couldn't decide whether it was from genuine interest or to learn anything that might aid her escape. Meryl would have to try again another time. "Would you like some time to yourself?" she asked.

Renesmee nodded.

Meryl got back on her feet. "Okay then. If you need anything, this telephone line," she said, gesturing to the phone on the bedside table, "will connect you with one of our staff. You can ask for food or other things you might need. The TV should get some decent channels. I can loan you some of my books or movies or things if you get bored."

"Don't try anything clever," Meryl added loudly. "Any time somebody comes into your room, there'll be extra guards, and we've made sure that phone can't reach outside this floor. Trying to escape will only make things harder."

Renesmee glared up at Meryl.

Meryl smiled back. "Do you understand?" she asked, not unkindly.

Renesmee scoffed and looked at the wall. "Fine," she said resentfully.

Meryl headed towards the door. It accepted her ID and swung open on its own. As she crossed the threshold, Meryl paused and looked back over her shoulder. "Don't stay up all night. You never know what might happen," she called out

Renesmee groaned loudly while Meryl closed the door. "Eesh, what are you, my big sister!?" the little girl cried through the wall.

Meryl turned and walked back to her own room next door – and almost walked into Lelu. Meryl stopped herself at the last moment, nearly falling over in the process. Lelu watched, smirking.

"Hey there!" Lelu cried casually.

"You're good at sneaking up on me," Meryl said irritably, "I'll be sure to watch my back from now on."

"No need: I can watch your nice backside for you," said Lelu.

Unable to help herself, Meryl laughed.

Lelu jerked her head towards Renesmee's door. "Sounds like you've made fast friends with our prisoner," she said. "Has the girl been asking a lot of questions?"

"She wants to know a lot about me," said Meryl.

Lelu put on an exaggerated pouting face. "Oh no, we've got ourselves a love triangle looming on the horizon!" she cried.

"Were you waiting there just to make jokes with me?" asked Meryl.

Lelu chuckled and smiled again. "Nah, that's not all," she said. "I heard you got chewed out by Mom so I wanted to cheer you up."

"No, I'm okay," Meryl said instantly. She was surprised that Lelu had heard of that already. Had she heard it from Adella? Either way, Meryl was comforted that Lelu wanted to check up on her. "Mom really went easy on me; she said I can't leave for thirty days."

"She knows when to show forgiveness," Lelu said.

Meryl looked closer and noticed a change in Lelu's expression. Her grin wasn't her usual playful smirk, but a warm and tender smile. Her eyes were soft, not bright with amusement. After a few moments, Lelu grinned slyly once more, and leaned in closely. "You're staring: do you like what you see? Looking for a kiss?"

Meryl took a step back and threw one of her arms up. "Are you sure you're bisexual? I've never seen you teasing other guys this way," she said.

Lelu planted her hands on her hips. "You haven't seen me working with any guys, have you?"

"I guess not," Meryl admitted.

Lelu laughed yet again, but her smile eventually settled into a more neutral expression. "Actually, Mom did ask me send an order around," she said.

"So soon?" asked Meryl. "I thought for sure it'd take her longer to decide what to do next."

"Oh, it's not orders yet," said Lelu. She shrugged and grinned ruefully. "She wants all of the sages and disciples to meet in the conference room again after lunch."

"A meeting?" asked Meryl.

"N-no," said Lelu. "It's going to be... a progress test for our training. Adella's going to fight us in a mock battle."

Meryl's jaw dropped. "We have to fight Mom!?" she cried.

"Yup," Lelu said. With a sigh, she stepped forward and clapped a hand to Meryl's shoulder. "I'd offer to massage away your imminent aches and pains, but, alas, I'll be feeling them too."

Meryl laughed nervously. "She's really that rough? Could we... win or something?"

Lelu stared at Meryl, her expression incredulous. "You have a pretty active imagination, Meryl," she said apologetically. "You've never fought her before, huh?"

Meryl nodded hesitantly. "Do we have to fight her one-on-one or something?" she asked.

"She fights all the disciples at once, to test both our own skills and our ability to work with others," said Lelu. "We hold these testing sessions each spring. You've never heard about this?"

"No, I only joined the Twelve Sides last summer," said Meryl. She winced, painful images dancing around the forefront of her mind. "What if we get beat so badly that we fail?"

Lelu snorted. "The 'beat badly' part happens regardless," she said. "If she considers our progress insufficient, she immediately rounds on our Sage."

"And do... they get beat up too?" asked Meryl.

Lelu nodded eagerly, grinning all the while. "They get it even worse than we do!"

Lelu patted Meryl on the shoulder once again, and went her own way. Meryl moaned and followed, certain that the day was about to take a turn for the worst.

* * *

From Kerry Park, the Seattle Space needle could be seen perfectly. Alexia sat on a park bench, enjoying the view. Although she would have liked to take action, the Vice-Captain still valued the rare opportunity she had been given to relax. In any case, she wasn't being completely idle. Even while waiting for a report, she was doing her own part to aid the Third Generation.

Following the Twelve Side's withdrawal from Washington, Squad Six had been entrusted with continuing the observation of the Cullens. Alicia, Max and Cessilia were entrusted with forward positions in the forest near Forks. Because the Cullens had never laid eyes on them, they were the only ones who could manage that task safely. Thanks to their efforts, Squad Six quickly learned of Edward, Carlisle and Jasper's departure.

The sound of metal jangling approached. Alexia didn't need to look to know who was coming; she'd recognize that noise anywhere. Alexia stood and nodded to her captain, but Eyal waved her off and sat down on the park bench. Alexia glanced uncertainly at her captain. Eyal was watching the sky, making no indication that he was even aware of Alexia. After a short pause, Alexia down at his side.

At first she was uncomfortable, but after a time she began to relax. After several months of hunting down vampires without rest across the Third World, spending such idle time with her captain felt almost unnatural to Alexia. She could only wonder how Eyal felt about it.

Eyal sighed contentedly and stretched his legs. It seemed he wasn't sharing her awkwardness at all...

"I'm a little relieved the Twelve Sides have left," he said.

Alexia glared at the Space Needle. "You could say that again," she spat. "The disciples in particular are nothing but a bunch of children with too much innate skill and too little experience."

Eyal chuckled. "Don't be too hard on them. Not all of them are inexperienced: I've heard that Eun-mi would be qualified to replace Mafuane if she ever died, and we all know Sabal's reputation."

"You know I didn't mean those two," said Alexia. "I wouldn't mind the Black Disciple either if she didn't act like a fool so often."

"You caught on to Lelu's little show?" asked Eyal.

"You stuck me in the car with her, remember?" asked Alexia. "I could _feel_ her watching me for most of the ride. Believe me, she was inspecting us."

Eyal groaned, and sat upright. "That's what I was talking about. I prefer not involving myself with the higher-ups. The further we are from Adella, the more freedom we have."

Alexia stared at her captain, almost unable to believe his words. "You don't like Adella?"

"I believe that she's true to our cause," Eyal said slowly, "but there's such a thing as being too driven."

"Is that why you're not upset over being removed from the Yellow Side?" asked Alexia.

"I'm not the Yellow Disciple anymore because I was finished," said Eyal. He leaned back and grinned up at the sky. "Heng just wanted to find another apprentice, and that kid Aaron reminded him of his son. I didn't mind stepping down. Besides, there's no shame in being a captain of one of the squads."

Eyal glanced at his vice-captain, a sly grin on his face. "Then I found all those applications you put through to become a disciple. I knew in an instant that that impressive stubbornness of yours would make you the perfect vice-captain."

Embarrassed and annoyed, Alexia sprang to her feet. "I think I'm going to go for a walk to cool my head. I'll see you later, Captain,"

"Leaving so soon?"

Alexia turned away, her eyes fixed on the dirt path beneath her feet. "Yes. I'll meet you back at the hotel room, Sir."

"Might want to see what Chione has to report first."

Gasping in surprise, Alexia turned her eyes skyward. A large white bird, a Tundra Swan, was flying toward her. Smiling, Alexia ran towards her familiar. Chione, noticing her mistress's approach, ducked into a quick dive, coming to a rest a few feet away from Alexia. Alexia knelt down and stroked Chione's head lightly.

From behind Alexia, the sound of Eyal's jangling metal drew close. "It's good to see you so happy," he remarked.

Alexia grinned and glanced back at her Captain. "I'm always happy to see Chione." She returned her attention to her familiar, and touched her lightly on the back. "Okay, girl, what did you see? Where is Edward heading?"

Alexia closed her eyes, but instead of Kerry Park around her, she saw a roadway lined with trees. Several road signs identified the street as the Alakasa Highway, and a certain Volvo raced down the road, driving much too fast. Alexia opened her eyes and grinned smugly. The Third Generation had it on record that the Cullens enjoyed driving dangerously fast. It made it sublimely simple to locate them out of any pack of cars.

"Good job, girl," Alexia said. She patted Chione softly on the back and stood. Still smiling, she turned to her captain. "The telepath is heading to Alaska. He must be trying to reach those Denali bitches. Why the hell doesn't he just _call them_? I swear, these people are idiots."

"Vampires take a lifetime to adapt to new technology," Eyal said, smiling. A moment later his mirth faded, and he nodded thoughtfully. "Going to Alaska is no surprise. The Cullens and Denalis have been allies for some time."

"Why are they still around, anyways? They do kill, don't they? They have sex with men and crush them in bed!"

Eyal turned away and stared at the ground. "They used to. I heard they got better about that," he said slowly. "They don't suck human blood anymore, either."

"So what?" snapped Alexia. "They don't even need sex to live! The fact that they were seducing men rather than hunting them shouldn't make any difference!"

Eyal glanced at Alexia out of the corner of his eye. "I don't make the decisions, Alexia, you know this. We may deal with them in the future, we may not. That'll be for Adella to decide."

Alexia made a sound of disgust, but tried to reign in her frustration all the same. Eyal _was_ right, and getting angry with him wouldn't change anything. Irritated with herself, she stared up at the sky. "Why can't I keep a cool head like you do?" she asked.

Eyal laid a hand over Alexia's shoulder, and smiled warmly at her. "We all develop our own oddities in this line of work. Heng counts every day as if it's going to be his last, Adella glares into shadows to find enemies, the Red Sage fights like a man possessed, and the Green Sage just doesn't seem to care about anything. I don't think it's possible to live a life like ours and be completely normal."

Alexia grit her teeth in impatience. "What does that have to do with my temper?" she asked.

"I'm only saying it's natural," said Eyal. "You're a passionate person, and it's not in your nature to allow wrongdoings to go unpunished. Your Trait lies in barriers for a reason."

With a sigh, Alexia down on the grass. Chione came close, and nuzzled up against her. Alexia lazily patted Chion's back with one hand, and picked at the grass with the other. "I just wish we didn't have these restrictive orders. If I were on the Twelve Sides, I could do more," she muttered.

"There's another problem," said Eyal. "You feel like the Sages are ignoring your abilities, don't you?"

"Just my rotten luck that I was born with a boring Trait like barriers. If I could throw fireballs and fly like that girl Meryl I'd be able to polish that sort of ability into something useful," said Alexia.

"Can't you do that with your barriers?" asked Eyal.

Defeated by Eyal's simple logic, Alexia said nothing. Eyal chuckled and offered a hand to her. Alexia rolled her eyes and grasped his hand with her own, and he pulled her back up to her feet.

Eyal smiled at her and patted her softly on the arm. "Don't let it get to you," he said. "If you worry too much, you'll go grey before your time, Alexia."

Embarrassed and annoyed, Alexia sighed and crossed her arms. "I'm going to go report what Chione's discovered," she said. "I'll see you later, Captain."

"No point," Eyal said before Alexia even took a step.

"What makes you think that? The Twelve Sides would like to know where Edward's going," said Alexia.

"They certainly would, but they'll be too busy to act on that information until later today," said Eyal.

Alexia sighed once again, and planted her hands on her hips. "Why're you being so cryptic?"

"I spoke with Heng an hour ago," said Eyal. Put his arms into his pockets and smirked. "Adella plans to test the rest of the Twelve Sides today, so there's not much point in telling them anything for at least a few hours."

"Wouldn't that be irresponsible?"

"Even if they sent us after him right now, there's no way we could catch up to Edward before he reaches the Denali coven. The best we can do is set up an ambush for when they return. A few hours lost won't hurt that," said Eyal.

Alexia laughed humorlessly and smirked at her captain. "I get the feeling you've got something up your sleeve, Captain."

"Me? No, I only wanted to take you out around town for a few hours," said Eyal.

Alexia stumbled backward, heat flooding her face. "Are you asking me out on a date, Captain!?"

"Why not? It's been a long time since you and I have been alone."

Alexia wasn't sure what was harder to believe; that her captain had asked her out, or that he was being so casual about it. Was an inability to emotionally react to things some sort of problem he had developed at some point in his service? "W-w-what if the others try to contact us? For all we know they could be attacked!"

"I have Irer watching my laptop at the hotel room. If anything comes up he'll send word down to me," Eyal said as he tapped his forehead once.

Alexia sighed and clapped a hand to her forward. So he had set up his own Familiar to hold down the fort. Her captain had prepared for this one in full...

"Fine," she eventually said. She looked up, glaring into her captain's eyes. "But I better enjoy every minute of this!"

Eyal grinned, impressing Alexia. Even in the face of her demands, he remained confident.

"I think this'll be my hardest challenge yet!" he said.

Alexia smiled grimly, and walked past Eyal. "Let's get started then," she called back over her shoulder.

Eyal's metal jingling followed.

* * *

It wasn't until she finally reached the conference room that Meryl began to wonder how that could possibly be the right room for a mock battle. She sat next to Aiden at the table, fully expecting to not stick around very long. There was no room for a battle there.

The Sages and Disciples filed in sporadically, until Arshaka arrived at ten minutes past noon. By then, all of the Twelve Sides were present, save Adella. Meryl glanced around the room at her comrades. Four of the Sages looked just as at ease as they had at their meeting the day before. Huihana was the exception: the Blue Sage was glancing left and right, her eyes wide. Among the Disciples, Eun-mi and Sabal alone looked calm. Sergei was staring at his lap, his expression blank, and Lelu seemed to be interested only in looking at one spot on the table. Aaron was frowning, his mouth twitching occasionally.

Meryl leaned closer to Aiden. "W-what's going to happen?" she asked.

"It's hard to describe," said Aiden. "You'll see. Just be patient and don't be afraid."

Aiden's reply only worried Meryl further. She stared at the clock, counting the seconds to Adella's arrival. Why was the red hand moving so slowly? Meryl tried passing the time by drumming her fingers on the table, but that only earned her the stares of several of the others. Where was Adella? Meryl's insides squirmed with nervousness.

Finally, Adella strode calmly into the room. The White Sage took her place at the front of the table. "I suppose everyone understands why we're here today. For our newer members, I'll briefly explain what is about to happen," she said, nodding to Meryl, Aaron and Huihana. "Each year, during a day of my choosing in the spring, I like to examine the progress of the Disciples and Sages."

"You'll be facing me in battle so that I can determine the weaknesses in your abilities. This is nothing more than another way of training, so I would like to stress that none of you should worry." Adella smiled. "But of course, don't be too at ease. You won't be in danger of permanent injury, but I don't pull my punches during these sessions."

Meryl shuddered involuntarily; Adella's smile clashed with her words. How serious was she being? Meryl could almost laugh at the irony. Just hours ago she was merely grateful that Adella hadn't demoted her. Now Meryl was afraid of what Adella had planned next.

Aaron suddenly said, "Where are we going to be holding this test, then? This room isn't exactly the right place for a fight."

"We will be using the very same projection spell that we use to hold our meetings," said Adella. "There is a room set aside in the basement of my home for this exact occasion."

"How can we fight each other that way?" asked Huihana. "Our projections can't physically interact with each other, and we can't cast magic from them, either!"

Sabal said, "The room in question was prepared to enhance our projections, allowing them to bypass-"

"To put it in laymen's terms," Adella said, knocking loudly and abruptly on her armrest, "it will allow us to interact with the area despite being in the form of our projections."

The White Disciple frowned at Adella for just a moment, almost as if pouting. Meryl had to stop herself from giggling at the sight of it, despite her own nervousness.

"Now, if everyone would please shift into their projections," said Adella. "I will guide you to the appropriate place, and then we can begin."

Meryl rolled her eyes before closing them. It was simple, though strange, to calm yourself enough to separate mind and body in preparation for a meeting. It was another matter entirely to do it when you had a fight with your superior to look forward to. One by one, the breathing of the Sages and Disciples around her settled into a hushed rhythm, until only a few others remained with Meryl. It took a while, at least over five minutes by Meryl's own guess, before her nerves began to settle. Then, finally, a flash of light shone through her eyelids, telling her that she had succeeded.

Opening her eyes, Meryl found herself standing in a stone room amongst the majority of the Twelve Sides. The room itself was completely bare, nothing but a wide, circular chamber, though light shone from somewhere that Meryl couldn't identify. The others caught sight of Meryl, before turning back to whatever they were doing. Meryl did a quick check and realized that only Aaron, Huihana, and Sergei had yet to arrive.

As she looked around, Meryl realized there were no doors, nor any other obvious way to enter. How were they supposed to leave? Were they trapped? It took Meryl a short while to remember that her actual body was still safely back in the office building in Los Angeles. This time, she could actually see the bodies of the others around her, making it easy to forget that she was only in the form of her projected consciousness.

By that time, Huihana had successfully projected herself into the room, and Sergei appeared as well shortly after. It was several minutes later when Aaron finally popped into existence in the room. He gasped for air for a few seconds, and then smirked. Meryl smiled warmly at the sight of his grandstanding.

With everyone present, Adella walked toward the center of the room and cleared her throat. "Although most of you have been through these examination sessions in the past, I would like to explain how things will work," she said. "In the following battle, the Disciples Eun-mi, Sergei, Aaron, Meryl and Lelu will work together in an attempt to defeat me. I don't doubt that they will fight valiantly and well, but in all likelihoods I will be the one to seize victory."

"With this in mind, I will be determining their performance not on whether they defeat me or are beaten, but how well they fight," she said loudly. She turned to the Disciples and smiled. "The five of you are free to use your full powers against me. Do not fear for my safety."

"These aren't our real bodies anyway. Nothing bad would happen to us if we were beaten up, right?" asked Aaron.

"No, Pup," said Heng. He looked at Aaron, his expression exasperated. "We still feel pain in this form, and enough pain can be deadly."

"Exactly," said Adella. She lifted up a wooden, blunt-edged sword, and planted its tip in the ground, her hands rested on its handle. "Therefore, I will be using this rather innocuous sword."

Lelu moved up to Meryl's side. "Don't listen to that," she whispered. "That thing hurts like a bitch in her hands."

Meryl had to stop herself from groaning. It was only then that she grasped she had no idea exactly how Adella fought. She had never once seen the White Sage in combat before. Obviously, her style of combat had something to do with swordplay, but that didn't explain what her power was. Meryl realized that Adella had continued speaking even while Meryl wondered what the Sage's power was. Adella must have called for the Disciples to plan, because Meryl's companions were huddling up.

"This year we haven't got that idiot Lanius to hold us back, so we probably won't do as badly," said Eun-mi.

"Who?" asked Meryl. The name sounded familiar to her, but she couldn't place where she had heard it.

"Your predecessor," said Sergei. "He was the Red Disciple for two long years before he finally got himself killed late last spring."

Meryl's insides squirmed once again. She hoped that she would at least not perform so badly that the others wished this Lanius was back amongst them.

"We haven't got Eyal, though," added Sergei.

"Eyal's strong, but he's too slow. He's useless against somebody like Adella," said Eun-mi.

Aaron chuckled. "Don't worry, I won't let you guys down," he said.

"We need to be strategizing," said Sergei. "As usual, we might as well not consider Lelu."

"Why is that?" asked Meryl. "She could really screw Adella up with her illusions!"

Lelu laughed darkly. "Bingo. Every time, without fail, Adella singles me out and clobbers the hell out of me the minute we start."

Lelu gave Meryl a wry grin and shrugged. Meryl stared back, how many times had Lelu gone through that before she began to write it off as a _joke_?

"Meryl, you and Aaron might be able to keep Adella off our backs for a few seconds," said Sergei. "Eun-mi and I will need a little time to get set up to fight her. You two are direct fighters. Think you can do it?"

Aaron nodded immediately, but Meryl glanced nervously at Adella and her sword. The White Sage was standing calmly, her expression neutral and difficult to read. The other five sages and Sabal were against the outer wall of the room. Meryl wondered vaguely why Sabal wasn't going to be fighting with them... He could have been a great help.

"Meryl?" Eun-mi asked loudly.

Meryl snapped back around towards her allies, and nodded quickly. "Yeah, sorry. I got... distracted," she mumbled.

"Don't be too nervous," said Eun-mi. Eun-mi actually smiled at Meryl, surprising the Red Disciple. Meryl had never seen the Green Disciple look so warmly at another person before. "The first time will catch you and Aaron by surprise. The rest of us know that. Nobody will think less of you if Adella dispatches you before you can even lay a hand on her."

Meryl nodded numbly, at a loss for any other way to respond. it wasn't the pain she was afraid of. Meryl had been in fights with vampires before, and she had taken injuries in battles. She and the other members of the Third Generation didn't know pain the same way that civilians did, and _that_ was why Lelu could almost laugh off being beaten down by Adella. But what had really scared Meryl was failure. She was the person with the most to prove. How would she have looked to the others if Adella defeated her casually enough?

Meryl nodded again, and tried to grin confidently at Eun-mi. "I'll do my best either way."

"Watch what Adella does when she goes after Lelu," said Eun-mi. "She's fast, really fast, just watch."

"Okay," said Meryl and Aaron.

"Let's go," said Sergei. "Adella will attack us the minute we start to move against her, so be ready."

The five Disciples spread out into three groups, with a few yard's distance between each one. At the front stood Meryl and Aaron, behind them were Sergei and Eun-mi, and Lelu brought up the rear on her own.

Aaron smirked at Meryl, and charged ahead. He was wearing claw-tipped metal gloves, and they were soon crackling with electricity. This was how Aaron fought in his human form; though his human form was slower and weaker, there were times when fighting as a wolf was simply impractical. Sergei chanted something rapidly, and the air in the chamber slowly became colder and wetter. Meryl didn't fully understand it, but she had heard that Sergei could create water vapor if he didn't have any water or ice to work with. Meryl began to feel a breeze against her back, signaling that Eun-mi was in the middle of making her own preparations. The others were getting ready. Next would be the Red Disciple's turn.

Meryl stood her ground and settled back into her stance. She watched Adella calmly, ready to intercept the Sage's first move. She almost missed it. Adella, who had been almost as still as a statue for the last five minutes, finally moved. In one motion, the Twelve Side's Mom took up her sword in both hands, and edged herself forward. She moved almost like a blur, slipping past Aaron's outstretched claws. Caught completely by surprise, Meryl could do little but throw a few clumsy jabs before Adella passed her by. Meryl spun on her heel and gave chase. Both the White Sage and Red Disciple moved between Eun-mi and Sergei, and headed straight for Lelu.

Naturally, Adella reached her first. Again, Meryl nearly missed Adella's movements: one blow to Lelu's front, pivot, and another to her back. It was almost like a work of art. Lelu gasped in pain and fell over onto her playing cards. Meryl froze for just a moment at the sight of Lelu's prone form. How could Adella do something so merciless? Even in the name of training, it was going too far! Meryl's mind blazed with rage, and she continued chasing the White Sage.

Adella turned, shifted her grip on her sword, and jabbed Meryl with it. The cold wood exploded into her stomach like a battering ram, knocking the air out of her lungs and sending her thoughts reeling. Meryl fell on her knees, her arms crossed protectively over her belly. Meryl half-noticed that the front sides of her legs were getting wet. Was she bleeding, too? Meryl struggled to get a mouthful of air, though she knew that Adella would finish her off in only a second.

And yet she didn't.

Instead of the crack of Adella's sword against her back or head, Meryl felt a rush of wind sail over her back. Adella leaped away. The floor suddenly turned very cold and slippery, nearly causing Meryl to fall onto her face. Someone's hand grabbed her by the collar and dragged her up onto her feet. "Your Trait is heat, melt the ice beneath your feet so you can stand," Sergei hissed into Meryl's ear.

Meryl nodded rapidly. "Thanks," she gasped.

"Don't mention it," said Sergei. "That stupid reckless charge of yours slowed her down a second or two, so good work."

Sergei left Meryl behind and ran toward Adella. Or rather, he slid across the ice toward her. Meryl realized that Sergei's feet glided easily on the ice. The Blue Disciple almost appeared to be skating on it. Meryl watched for a moment, stunned at the sight of it. Adella, on the other hand, glared down at the ground, and stepped out carefully. Her foot slipped a short distance, nearly sending the White Sage to her knees.

"I picked up a new trick over the summer, Mom!" cried Sergei.

Adella looked up, and smiled at Sergei. "Very inventive, Sergei," she said. She slid one foot forward, and then the other. At no point did her balance falter. "But you were too quick to show me how I can use it myself."

While Adella tested the ice, Meryl recovered from the blow she had taken. She focused warmth into the soles of her feet, defrosting the ice beneath them. Aaron ran up to Meryl's side and nodded at her. Aaron had resorted to simply smashing his feet through the layer of ice. Eun-mi, on the other hand, was floating amid a tight cyclone. Meryl stopped and blinked in surprise at the sight of it. Eun-mi formed tight discs of air currents on the palms of her hands, and launched them at Adella. The discs flew through the air, carving slices into of the ice and stone like powered saw blades. Eun-mi's aim was true, but either by ducking, leaping, or using her sword as a prop to change her direction, Adella evaded them all.

"Focus!" shouted Eun-mi. "Attack Adella together!"

Meryl ran toward Adella, who pursued Sergei while slipping around Eun-mi's air blades. The Blue Disciple fired ice projectiles from the palms of his hand, but Adella parried them with her sword. She was closing the distance.

Meryl paused a moment to check Adella's direction; Adella could move faster, but she couldn't easily stop herself or change direction while on the ice. "Aaron," cried Meryl, "I'm heading straight ahead to cut Adella off, loop around to her other side!" Without waiting for Aaron's response, Meryl began running toward Adella.

Just as Sergei came within the reach of Adella's sword, Meryl darted in. She was elated when her jabs actually hit home and struck Adella's side. The White Sage gasped in either surprise or pain, and glared at Meryl out of the corner of her eye. Meryl managed to slip in two or three strikes, before Adella suddenly seized Meryl's wrist. Before Meryl could pull herself free, Adella swung her around in front of herself, and kicked Meryl hard in the stomach. Meryl's cries of pain were cut short as the air was knocked from her lungs a second time. She slammed into Sergei, and then into a wall. Meryl fell forward with a splash – the ice had immediately thawed. Half a second later, Sergei's unconscious body fell with a crash upon her.

Meryl's mind felt hazy and her eyelids heavy, but she struggled to continue watching the fight. Aaron finally reached Adella and swiped at her with his iron-gloved hands. Adella dodged Aaron's blows and slipped around to his back. Despite her own injuries, Meryl winced at the crack that reverberated through the room when Adella struck the back of Aaron's head. Now, Eun-mi was alone.

Meryl couldn't see what came after that very well. Adella darted this way and that, dodging Eun-mi's wind blades. It didn't last long after that. Eun-mi cried out in pain and was on the ground. Adella turned and planted her sword into the ground, her hands on the hilt.

"And so, the Disciples have fallen," she said, not unkindly. Adella opened her mouth to continue speaking, but Meryl's eyes finally closed. Her strength left her, and she slumped down onto the wet floor.


	14. Chapter 14

_**Sunspot**_

_Only a few months have passed since the Cullen's encounter with the Volturi, and Renesmee is growing with each passing day. However, she longs to explore the world and find her own destiny. Meanwhile, forever is looking considerably shorter when the winter incident provokes a mysterious organization lurking in the shadows to step into the light... Rated M for character death. Ye be warned._

Disclaimer: Twilight and its peeps belong to Meyer. Only the OC's belong to me.

Author's Note: Thanks again to Aviva Tsuion and Sith Droideka for their work, beta-ing this chapter.

* * *

The clock pointed to twelve, but without any windows it would have been impossible to tell whether it was nearing noon or midnight. The night sky was more an idea than a reality. Renesmee sat on her bed, her arms crossed over her chest, her face twisted into a pout.

"At home Mommy would take me outside and let me count the stars!" she cried suddenly.

Meryl sat at the table, her irritation with the young vampire growing by the second. She stared at her younger counterpart tiredly, her head propped up by her sleeping arm. "I know that isn't true. Washington had some sort of bizarre omnipresent cloud coverage the whole time we were there."

"You can see them if you go on the roof!" Renesmee cried, gesturing her arms upward for emphasis. "We spend whole nights on the roof of our house!"

Meryl blinked. "That doesn't make any sense," she muttered. "Besides, you can't see the stars at night here."

Renesmee cried out in victory. "You fell for it, now I know where we are!" she said as she pointed her finger at Meryl.

Meryl gave such a start that she nearly let her head fall onto the table. "Ho-how did you find that out!?"

"Oh dear, you screwed up, Meryl," said Lelu.

Meryl rounded in shock. Behold, there was Lelu, sitting on top of the dresser. "You should know that Mom gave me free reign to punish you for failures."

Confused and scared, Meryl looked back and forth between Lelu and Renesmee. A cold sweat began to run down her face. Unsure of what was going to come next, Meryl leaped away from the table, and settled back into a fighting stance.

"I don't know what's going on, but I'm not gonna let you do..." Meryl paused, and narrowed her eyes at the ground. "Whatever it is you have planned!" she added. She could only hope that she had saved face appropriately.

Lelu smirked at her. "How're you gonna fight back? You're not even wearing pants!"

Her heart racing, Meryl looked down... and found that Lelu was partly correct. She was, in fact, wearing a knee-length skirt. Wait, that was probably part of Lelu's scheme! Any minute now she'd probably reveal that Meryl had forgotten to wear underwear that day, or something! Renesmee would surely think of less of her if something like that happened! Determined not to be caught off guard, Meryl looked back up, glaring. She wasn't going to fall for Lelu's tricks today, not in front of the younger dhampir.

Meryl looked up, but Lelu wasn't there anymore, and neither was Renesmee. Meryl glanced around nervously and found herself in an all-too-familiar place. It was a white sterilized room, the walls lined with hospital equipment. She took a step back, and came up against a hospital table. Her hands brushed over something warm and wet. Trembling from head to foot, she looked down at her hands. They were drenched, sodden and soaked. They were practically dripping with blood. It was a flow that never ended, no matter how much how much trickled from her hands. She clenched her hands tight and held them close to her body.

She couldn't bear to look at them. Her hands blamed her; they were the indisputable proof of what she did.

_It wasn't my fault, it wasn't my fault!_

Her wet eyes burned. She dropped to her knees and doubled over, sobbing into the white tile floor.

_I couldn't help it! There was nothing else I could have done!_

Merylcried until she was out of tears. When she finally looked up, the room had faded, leaving her alone in a white void. She was... So Alone...

_Mom... Why did you leave me like this? It's your fault, It's all your fault! Why couldn't you have been selfish-_

"Meryl! Meryl!"

The world collapsed into nothingness.

* * *

Chapter Fourteen:

-Meryl

Many truths,

a dark night begins...

* * *

Meryl opened her eyes, gasping rapidly for breath. What was going on? Where was she? Her nightmare – she was still crying. She was almost doubled over, sobbing and shaking her head. Soft hands took hold of her shoulders and shook her firmly.

"Meryl, get a hold of yourself!" she heard someone cry. "What's wrong?"

Blinking, Meryl looked up. She couldn't see much beside a dark blur... No, there was a vague shape standing out against the darkness. Meryl closed her eyes and shook her head vigorously. She opened her eyes again, and finally saw clearly. Lelu and Aaron hovered over her, both staring at her with panic evident in their wide eyes.

"Are you okay!?" asked Lelu.

Meryl rubbed her eyes quickly and nodded. "Y-yeah, I'm okay," she said. "I'm fine, don't worry about me."

Lelu frowned and stood back, though she extended her hand toward Meryl. Meryl smiled feebly and took it, letting Lelu pull her back up.

Lelu sighed and brushed Meryl off. "Are you sure Mom didn't hit you a little too hard?"

"No way, Meryl got off easy compared to what Mom did to me," cried Aaron. He slapped Meryl on the back, chuckling. "Meryl'll bounce back. Believe me on that one."

Meryl couldn't but laugh, grateful for Aaron's dependable liveliness.

"We better check for any brain damage," said Lelu. Aaron nodded at her. "Okay, Meryl, say 'apple'."

Muttering "Orange," Meryl shoved Lelu away. She took a few steps forward, and scanned the room to get her bearings.

That, and to distract her from her nightmare...

She was still in the underground chamber, alongside the sages and disciples. The Sages were huddled near the center of the room, talking quietly. Eun-mi leaned against the wall some distance away, glaring at the floor. Sergei set down not far away, his mouth slightly agape.

"Sergei's still pretty woozy," said Lelu. She sat on the floor next to Meryl, and followed her gaze. "Or maybe he's still in shock that he woke up laying on top of you, the lucky bastard."

Meryl furrowed her brows at the mental image, but shook it out of her mind. That was the last thing she had to worry about. "How badly did we fail?" she asked.

"I have no idea! I got knocked flat ten seconds in, remember?" asked Lelu.

"You did well," said Sabal. The White Disciple stood, not far away, watching the other disciples with a smile on his face. "Adella's particularly annoyed with you, Meryl."

Meryl took a step back, bewildered. Had she done that terrible? "W-what did I do wrong?"

"You got a blow in!" cried Sabal. "That crafty devil Aiden lied to me about how he trained you!"

Meryl looked towards the other Disciples, searching for an answer. Aaron and Lelu both shrugged.

"After Mom announced that this year's training session would be today, I asked Aiden what your style was," said Sabal. "He told me you focused your Trait through your legs. Adella was going the whole fight expecting you to kick her, not punch her."

"Wait, I saw Meryl try to punch her while Mom was going for Lelu," said Aaron.

"Adella probably wasn't paying attention to Meryl at that point," Sabal said, shrugging.

"So Mom was staring at dem legs out of the corner of her eye the whole time after I went down. Shame I missed that," Lelu said airily.

Her face red hot, Meryl turned at shot Lelu a glare before focusing her attention back on Sabal. "So what, she's mad that I hit her?"

Sabal smiled. "For all her talk about 'the Disciples will surely put on a good show', Adella's pretty competitive. She managed to down the Disciples without taking a hit the last two years."

Sabal turned and nodded toward Sergei. "Of course, that trick Mr. Chirkoff pulled was a nice touch as well."

"How would you say we did overall?" asked Aaron.

"About as well as Adella expected, I'd say," said Sabal. "I imagine she'll annou-"

The Sages' low murmuring discussion was suddenly replaced by six sets of approaching feet. The six Disciples turned and gave their attention to their superiors. The sages came to a stop not far from the disciples, Adella at the front of the pack.

Adella scanned the room for the six disciples, her expression calm. Meryl watched, her heart pounding. What was her verdict going to be? No matter what Sabal said, Meryl couldn't shake the feeling that they had disappointed her. How could Adella have even assessed them? She defeated them so quickly!

Just as Meryl was certain that Adella would shake her head in shame, turn away, or berate them, Adella smiled warmly. "The five of you performed well today," she said.

Meryl stared, stunned.

"That includes me?" asked Aaron.

Adella arched her eyebrow at Aaron. "Why would you think I am excluding you?"

"Well," Aaron said slowly, "You knocked me out before I could even do anything..."

"It's good that I did," said Adella. She chuckled at the confused look Aaron gave her. "I was mindful of where you were throughout the entire exercise, Aaron. I don't suppose you noticed that I was trying to keep my distance? I could endure Meryl or Sergei's attacks, but if you landed even one blow... let's just say I wouldn't come out looking very well."

"More importantly, a vampire wouldn't be as cautious," said Heng. "Adella and I agree that they would be very sorry to face you hand-to-hand."

Aaron laughed and pumped his fist. "I always knew I'd pass," he said, smirking.

Adella smiled at Aaron. Meryl could swear the White Sage was stifling laughter. "The Senior Disciples set a good example for their Juniors," Adella added as she turned to Sergei and Eun-mi. "Your aim is as deadly as ever, Eun-mi. At the rate you're improving, I might find myself in danger one year."

Eun-mi jerked her head into a short nod. "My first priority is always to better myself," she said.

"She almost trains too hard," Mafuane said quietly. "I think she should enjoy her life while she's young..."

Eun-mi practically spun on her heel to face her Sage. Meryl gazed in surprise at the look on Eun-mi's face. She was used to the Green Disciple holding an almost mask-like calmness, breaking it only to occasionally glare at people. Now, however, Eun-mi was glaring at her Sage.

"I'll never reach your level if do that," Eun-mi said firmly.

"Few ever do reach it," said Mafuane. The Green Sage turned and looked outward vaguely, as if to see the horizon. Meryl stared at Mafuane's eyes, entranced by their depth. "It could take hundreds of years to learn all that I have... Few are so fortunate-"

"Or so cursed," said Adella. She glared at the Green Sage for barely a second, before turning her attention to Sergei. Adella's sudden anger was already gone, and she was smiling again. "Freezing the ground was very inventive, Sergei. Where did you find the time to learn how to cross ice so easily?"

Sergei threw one of his arms up in the air indifferently. He almost looked bored. "Just plenty of experience dealing with it. I've learned how to keep my balance."

"And freezing the ground allows you to keep your distance from your enemies more easily," said Adella.

"Yeah. Since I fight at range, it made sense," said Sergei.

Adella nodded, and turned next to Meryl. '_Adella's particularly annoyed with you, Meryl'_. Meryl cringed under Adella's gaze, uncertain whether praise or scorn lay in her near future.

"Here we have the girl who gave me a surprise," Adella said, not unkindly.

Meryl looked up, Adella was still watching her, her expression curious. "I have a question, by the way," said Adella. "After you hit me, I felt a little hot for a while. Do you use your Trait to warm your opponent's body when you strike them?"

Meryl subconsciously took a step back, surprised by the question. Adella was actually interested in her ability enough to ask? "Y-yes. I place more and more heat inside of my foe every time I hit them."

"Ah," Adella gasped knowingly. She turned away, frowning. "When the heat reaches a high point, you cause combustion by snapping your fingers. Simple and effective..."

Meryl blinked, now even more surprised. Did Aiden tell Adella how her abilities worked? That was the only explanation, but why was Adella so upset?

Adella turned toward Aiden, still frowning. "You taught your sister to use your mother's Art? Are you planning to turn the Blazing Dove into another Burning Hawk?" she snapped.

Meryl gasped silently. She had to have heard wrong. That couldn't be right...

Aiden scoffed and pointedly looked away from Adella. "Refraining from passing an Art is a tradition, not a rule," he muttered. "We only avoid doing that because Traits don't tend to repeat for several generations of Sages and Disciples."

"Aiden," growled Heng. "You know what this is-"

Heng continued talking. Meryl could hear him and the other Sages continuing their discussions, but she didn't pay attention to them. She leaned against the outer wall and stared at the ground. All that time, she'd been using her mother's fighting style without even knowing it? And Aiden deliberately taught her that way? She looked down at her hands, her stomach writhing. She must have looked like a fool, a little girl trying to follow in her mother's footsteps...

Suddenly, Adella slammed her sword loudly into the ground three times, shocking Meryl back into reality. Adella's eyes were shut tight, her expression rigidly unemotional. "The test is over. We're going to return to our bodies and take it easy for a few hours," she said firmly. Opening her eyes, she scanned the underground room, staring at each of the Twelve Sides in turn. "Do all of you understand?"

Scattered confirmations sounded out. Adella nodded, and, with a flash of light, they found themselves sitting at the half-circular table once again. "The meeting is adjourned," Adella said shortly.

One by one, the disciples and sages filed quietly out of the room, Meryl trudging somewhere among them. She wandered the hall, her mind reeling in a cloud of confusion and depression. What was she? A ghost of her mother? Memories of her nightmare came bubbling back up, threatening to force her to tears again. What _was _she, to the others, to Aiden?

Something clapped her shoulder from behind, causing her to jump. Her heart racing, Meryl leaped forward, turning around mid-leap. Eun-mi stood in front of her, her arms crossed. Her expression was as hard to read as ever.

Meryl breathed heavily and tried to calm down. It was just Eun-mi, nothing dangerous. "Hey Eun-m-mi. What's up?"

Eun-mi smiled, shrugged and leaned against a wall, her arms still crossed. "Just wanted to see how my fellow shadow is doing," she muttered.

"Shadow?"

"Turns out we're alike," said Eun-mi. She glanced at Meryl, before looking back down at the floor. "Lelu tried to come chasing after you, but I sent her away."

"Thanks," said Meryl. She wasn't sure she could really deal with Lelu's antics at that moment. "What did you meant by calling us shadows?"

"We're both living in somebody's shadow," said Eun-mi. "People will probably remember me as nothing but another disciple under Mafuane."

The desperation in Eun-mi's eyes... She wanted to be acknowledged. To be more than Mafuane's disciple. Meryl remembered that Eun-mi wasn't like Meryl herself, or Sergei, Aaron or Lelu. They were still relatively new, still learning from their sages. Eun-mi had been Mafuane's disciple for almost a decade. She could almost be expected to become a sage herself if an opening came up. Only Sabal could really relate to her.

Meryl nodded numbly. "I guess I shouldn't be so surprised by it," she muttered. "Aiden's made it clear he expects me to replace Mom."

Little phrases, probably well-meant... '_It's up to you to succeed Mom'_. Half the time, Meryl wasn't even entirely sure that Aiden saw her as her own person. To him, she might as well have been a replacement, Amy Branford reborn in the daughter who killed her...

"Well, don't dwell on it," Eun-mi said firmly. Meryl looked up slowly, and saw that Eun-mi was staring directly at her. "They say the night always ends, so one day we'll get what we're looking for. Aiden will wake up and see you for who you are."

"Thanks," Meryl said quietly.

"Hey, I'm here for a reason," said Eun-mi. She smiled at Meryl. "I have to look out for my younger disciples, don't I?"

Chuckling weakly, Meryl nodded.

Eun-mi turned and began to walk away, but came to a stop before she was completely out of sight. "Don't dwell on what Aiden did. It's probably for the better that you use an Art you're familiar with. One day you can make it into something that's your own," she called back. "If you ever need an ear, I'll listen."

She was gone. Meryl was alone again, but her burden felt much lighter. Meryl stretched out, and made for the cafeteria. Some comfort food was probably in order, followed by some rest.

She'd had quite the busy day already.

* * *

After one last check of Edward's passport, the border officer at Port Alcan station finally waved the 'young' vampire through. Practically growling under his breath, Edward drove through the border into Alaska. He suffered a grueling minute, a torturous sixty seconds of sheer boredom, before revving his Volvo to maximum speed. Edward weaved through traffic, bypassing the slow humans and hurrying on his way. Making way for him was the least they could do, after delaying him so long at the border.

In truth, the border check had been a mere formality. Edward had nothing in his Volvo with him, so the inspection was brief. His passport checked out easily. He had only been held up at the border for a few minutes, but even that had felt too long. Any other time, he might not have even bothered playing by human rules. Bending them was superbly easy. However, time was of the essence, and dealing with local law enforcement was a delay he couldn't afford. His family, Bella in particular, could be in danger at any moment. He had to reach Tanya and the others as quickly as possible, and then return home.

Edward pushed his Volvo faster, scanning ahead for a first glimpse of Mount McKinley.

* * *

The moon shone on Musson, one of the southernmost towns in Belgium. A young girl knelt in the middle of a vast grassland. She held her black dress close, the better to keep it from getting dirty, and smiled eagerly at the ground. Her small, frail appearance was a deception: the little girl was Petra Brooks, the captain of Special Squad Four.

Behind her, three adults, her squad members, stood idly, all of them showing the signs of being bored out of their wits. A fifth, a thin man with sharp eyes, was watching the girl closely. He was Eun-hyeo, the sub-captain of Petra's squad.

After nearly a half-hour of silence, Petra cried excitedly, brushed her neat black hair out of her face, and held her hand close to the ground. A second later she stood, five small spiders now crawling along her fingers. The other three pointedly looked away, but Eun-hyeo watched on resolutely.

She stared close at the spiders, nodding occasionally, and the spiders watched her just as diligently. After several seconds of this, the girl set the spiders back down. "Mmm, thank you! I hope you spin some very nice webs tonight!" she cried.

The girl turned and smiled up at the man who had been watching her. "They've passed through here, Eun!" she cried.

"We need to find a way to report back," Eun-hyeo said quietly.

Petra scanned the horizon, frowning. "It's gonna be hard to find a connection around here."

Eun-hyeo nodded and opened his mouth to speak, but Petra rounded on him eagerly. "Well, no sense wasting time, Eun! Let's get a move on!"

A wide smile on her face, Petra immediately sprinted off through the grassland, laughing merrily. "C'mon guys, keep up!" she cried as she ran by her three squadmates. The trio exchanged glances with Eun-hyeo, shrugged, and hurried after her. Their newest task would doubtlessly be to remind their captain of their automobile...

* * *

The sound of paws moving softly through the forest woke Leah from her sleep. Her ear twitching, she slowly lifted her head up to scan the forest. Seth was approaching slowly, depression practically rolling off of him.

Irritated at being woken up, Leah glared at him and snapped, _"What is it?"_

Seth settled on the ground next to her, whining._ "Jacob wanted to know how your visit with Sam went," _he said.

_"Why didn't he ask me?"_ she demanded. Jacob decided to wake her after a long night, and couldn't even be bothered to actually come on his own?

Seth looked down sheepishly. _"Well, he didn't ask me to go, but I could tell he was wondering."_

_"Seth, you know there's no point lying to me,"_ Leah said, rolling her eyes.

Seth looked away from Leah pointedly. Leah continued to stare at him until he eventually said, _"I was hoping we'd go rescue Renesmee soon."_

Leah growled and settled her head back down on the grass. _"_Where_ would we even start to look?"_

She heard Seth whine once again. _"I thought maybe with Sam's help..."_

"Sam hasn't decided anything yet," said Leah. _"He wants to think things over first."_

_"What do you think he'll do?"_ asked Seth. Leah could practically feel the eagerness in his question.

_"He'll probably help... I don't think he'll let another wolf be separated from their imprintee,"_ said Leah.

_"That's good."_

That's good!? Leah clenched her teeth, determined not to attack Seth. Not her little brother, no matter how stupid he could be. He still didn't understand why imprinting wasn't a good thing. Leah dreaded the inevitable moment that Seth would find his fated girl. Seeing wolf after wolf imprinting had long since dashed her hopes that the condition was rare. Either way, she would fight tooth and nail to delay that dark day.

_"Why are you so worried about imprinting?"_ asked Seth.

_Don't attack him, don't attack him_.

_"I'll explain it to you another day."_

_"Okay..."_

Leah sighed and tried to get comfortable. If she were lucky, she could manage a few more hours of sleep before she had to patrol again. Unfortunately, it didn't seem that luck was with her that day; Seth was still hanging around.

_"What do you think will happen next?"_ he asked.

_"We wait a few days and kick some vampire ass,"_ muttered Leah.

_"I've got a bad feeling,"_ said Seth. He shifted agitatedly, and whimpered. _"Edward went off alone to Alaska. What if something bad happens on the way?"_

_I'll celebrate. Hell, maybe I'll even eat some of Esme's food; that's how good I'll feel._

_"Leah,"_ moaned Seth.

_"Look, Seth, worrying about Edward isn't going to help anything,"_ said Leah.

Excitement suddenly shot through Seth. He bolted upright, his tail wagging. _"You're right! Thanks, Leah!"_

Leah peered closely at Seth, her eyes narrowed. Go ask Sam for help. That was his big plan? _"I already told you that Sam's not going to rush into things," _she said. _"Besides, Alaska isn't even our territory."_

But Seth was already trotting off. His naive eagerness once again ran ahead of his senses. Leah grumbled and curled up. She wouldn't bother trying to stop Seth. It wouldn't work, and it's not like going to Sam would get him hurt. At least she had some peace again.

* * *

Later that night, Adella sat at her desk, staring at the report Eyal sent her: "Confirmed movements of Cullens Edward, Jasper and Carlisle at One Thirty-Eight this afternoon. Edward heads north to Alaska by car to meet with Denali Coven. Expected to return in approximately two days, provided he makes no other trips."

Adella looked up and smiled. Edward would be home just in time for the Twelve Sides to set a trap. The world would be free of six more vampires, two of which commanded potent abilities. One step closer to Forever's End.

She merely had to decide who would be entrusted with the task. Setting her musings aside, Adella returned her attention to the report,

"Jasper travels south by foot, most likely to meet with the Amazonian Coven. I strenuously suggest either moving to cut him off or eliminate the Amazonians before he makes contact."

"Obviously," muttered Adella.

The Amazonians had proven themselves frustratingly skilled at evading notice. They held the advantage beneath the boughs of their jungles.

"It's fortunate that they revealed themselves last winter," she said quietly to herself, "otherwise we might never have even discovered they existed."

It was a pity that they had escaped after the winter incident ended. That unfortunate slip-up wouldn't be allowed to repeat itself. Sighing quietly, Adella continued reading the report,

"Carlisle travels east for reasons unknown. No vampires covens worth considering are known to exist in the eastern continent United States."

Adella paused a moment and looked at the roof of her office, thinking for any covens in the described area. The only vampires of note in the United States were the Cullens themselves. Perhaps Carlisle went looking for nomads? No matter; the Twelve Sides had bigger concerns.

Just as Adela was about to turn her attention away from her computer, a notice box popped up; she was receiving a video transmission. Moments later, the face of a young girl, much too close to her camera, appeared on Adella's monitor.

"Hello, Mommy! I have an important report for you!" cried Petra.

Adella laughed quietly and closed her eyes. "I would be most grateful if you backed up just a little before you start giving it," she said calmly.

"Mmm!" Petra hummed as she leaned back. "I'm sorry we're late, but finding a place way out here where I could get a connection was really hard!" she cried, pouting.

Adella waved her hand in the air once. "That's quite alright. I've been busy all this afternoon anyway," she said. "Were you able to confirm anything?"

Petra nodded eagerly. "Mhm! We've followed the trail north from Italy, and I think we've caught up with them. People have been going missing near a small town called Musson, and the locals are terrified – the poor things. The signs point to vampires passing into Belgium, and recently too!"

Adella sat up, alarmed. Enough people had gone missing to cause a panic? There wasn't exactly a set quota or anything, but when that happened it was never a good sign.

"What are the people doing?" Adella asked, forcing her voice to remain calm.

Petra frowned. "I dunno... going to work... doing adult stuff, I guess. They're thinking animals might have gotten the people who were eaten."

"You sai – what did you mean by 'locals?" her eyes narrowed.

Petra laughed and beamed at Adella. "The spiders, of course!" she cried. "Bugs run when vampires pass through. They have more sense than most animals, you know."

Adella sighed and closed her eyes. So the situation wasn't as bad as she'd guessed. It sounded as if the vampires were deliberately going somewhere – not just wandering around. If they were boundless nomads, they would probably have remained near Musson for at least a few days. Adella opened her eyes and continued watching Petra, who was now watching something out of Adella's view.

"Petra, can you guess where they're going?" asked Adella.

"I think they're going somewhere on purpose," said Petra. She nodded, and narrowed her eyes. "See, they'd spend a loooong time staying in one place, then they'd suddenly go zooming off to the next spot!" she explained, providing sound effects as appropriate to her words. "I think the Volturi are trying to find a new vampire to join their big gang!"

"One that Demetri doesn't know," muttered Adella. Who could it be? Another strange, ancient vampire like the Japanese woman they had recruited? The news was bad, no matter what.

"Well done, Petra," said Adella. "I want you to continue your investigation. I'll be sending help for you soon."

"Yaaaay, more people to go with me!" cried Petra. She nodded eagerly at Adella, "Mmm! Okay, Adella, I'll do my best! We might be able to find them in a day or two, if we're lucky. I hope we are!"

"I hope so too," Adella said quietly.

"Well, bye for now," said Petra. She gave Adella a wave, and her video cut off.

Adella sat back in her chair, rubbing her eyes. What a day... and she still had work to do. Their next move would have to be made quickly. Hunting the Cullens was easy; the Second Generation had no interest in them and would be unlikely to interfere with the Third Generation's actions. But the Volturi... The more important coven to hinder would, naturally, be the one that carried the greater risk of dealing with Diamond's lackies.

But before Adella decided on anything, she'd need insurance. She pushed the matter temporarily from her mind and sent for Meryl. Their ambushes for Edward and Jasper would surely fail if the little wretch Alice saw them coming...

* * *

In the corner of the employee lounge, the Twelve Sides had set up a sort of unofficial bar. It was kept open at night, after most of the ordinary workers at headquarters went home to rest. At those hours, the room was kept dimmed, and became a lounge instead for the Twelve Sides. Huihana walked in slowly and quietly, and scanned the room briefly. Several ordinary members of the Third Generation, Eun-mi, Arshaka and Aiden were present. Eun-mi sat in a corner, drinking quietly, but Aiden and Arshaka sat next to each other at the bar, talking to each other.

Huihana narrowed her eyes at them. Rumors from among the other hunters had it that these two men frequented the bar in the early hours of the night. It was the best opportunity to corner them. Huihana forced a smile, and walked casually toward the bar. She'd find for herself whether or not Adella was right to doubt her own comrades.

Huihana's gaze lingered over Aiden. She knew Arshaka well enough to know that she'd probably _never _really understand him. The man never directly answered personal questions, and was facetious to the point of having an alien mined. His particular Art was known to cause memory and identity loss, which somewhat explained his behavior, but all that meant was he could or could not have been faking it. Trying to decide Arshaka's loyalty from his character was pointless, so Huihana had no choice but to observe his actions.

Aiden, however...

Unlike Arshaka, most people could guess what made him tick. Stories traveled openly among the ranks of how harsh and unforgiving Aiden was toward vampires. He was said to fight like a berserker, and taunt vampires before killing them. The source of his "bloodlust" was unknown, but rumors flew, and the drama at the end of the mock battle had been very telling. His relationship with his mother and Meryl clearly affected him deeply. She would have to work toward getting to the bottom of them; discovering Aiden's reasons with which he fought could go a long way to proving or disproving his loyalty.

As Huihana approached, she saw that Arshaka was doing most of the talking. He was grinning wide at Aiden, who slouched and stared back with an exasperated look. Morrigan stood on the bar, watching the two men intently.

"All I'm saying is that now everyone is going to think you're some sort of creep, Aiden," said Arshaka. He sounded to be on the verge of breaking out into laughter.

"Let them. Adella isn't going to demote me just because of how I taught Meryl. She had the right Trait, so why not?"

Arshaka laughed once, loudly. "From what I heard, your father had the same Trait you do, but you're not mimicking _his _Art!"

Aiden turned toward his glass and took hold of it. "He wasn't exactly around to teach it to me, in case you forgot," he spat.

Arshaka chuckled, and threw his arms up. "Sorry, memory isn't what it used to be!"

Morrigan turned from Arshaka to Aiden, then did a double take and looked directly at Huihana instead. Huihana broke into a cold sweat and froze where she stood. It was like she was being pierced by those eyes... Morrigan cawed loudly and turned to Aiden. Arshaka glanced over his shoulder, and his eyes fell upon Huihana. He gaped at her in surprise for a short while, but he soon smiled at her.

"Looks like we've got company tonight!" he cried. "Care to join us, Huihana?"

With a start, Huihana came to her senses. "Ah, sure thing!" she said quickly.

"You mind, Aiden?" asked Arshaka.

"No. If she gets you off my back, all the better," muttered Aiden.

Her heart beating rapidly, Huihana settled into the chair at Aiden's side, and tried to appear at ease. In truth, she only drank at family functions, and that had been fine wine. She hazarded a guess that anything she was expected to drink would be a far cry from that. Her attempts to get comfortable were made more difficult by Arshaka; she could feel the Black Sage watching her.

"I'm surprised a high-born girl like yourself is letting herself seen among us rabble," said Arshaka. He took a sip and chuckled. "Drowning your sorrows?"

Huihana turned and frowned at him. "What do you think I'm sad about?" she asked.

"To be honest, I half expected that Sergei was giving you a hard time again," said Arshaka. "'Stupid lucky sages didn't get a turn getting beat by Mom because Aiden had to be a weirdo'. Or just his usual 'I'm pissed a more qualified girl got the spot I wanted'! That sort of thing."

Aiden scoffed into his glass of alcohol. "The way he treats you is disrespectful," he muttered, "to you, himself and the entire Twelve Sides..."

"N-no, I haven't spoken with Sergei much since the test," said Huihana, "and really, he's not as bad as you guys are acting! I'm sure he'll calm down eventually."

Arshaka turned his attention to his own glass, and began toying with its rim. "I'm just saying, if Lelu acted like that with me I'd petition to have her replaced."

Aiden suddenly burst out laughing, surprising Huihana. "We both know why you keep Lelu as the Black Disciple!" he cried.

"Why is that?" asked Huihana.

Aiden turned toward Huihana, smirking. "The next two candidates after Lelu are Aguta and Petra Brooks."

Huihana glanced at Arshaka, who was rolling his eyes. "What's wrong with those two?"

"They both spook me," Arshaka said quietly. He scoffed and took a long drink.

"So you only keep Lelu around because the other two scare you?" asked Huihana.

Lelu's words and the fact that she was spying for Adella were still fresh in Huihana's mind. A part of her wanted to warn Arshaka, but she knew better. That would only cause more harm than good – for everyone. She had to learn more before making any reckless moves.

Arshaka smiled at his glass and waved his arm. "No, Lelu's great. She works efficiently and she's good at lifting the spirits. I don't get the opportunity to work alongside her as much as I'd like, but there's no love lost between us."

Aiden scoffed into his glass. Arshaka and Huihana stared at him. "Don't use idioms if you don't know what they mean. You just said you _don't _like her, idiot," he said, staring at Arshaka out of the corner of his eye.

Arshaka frowned, and rounded on Aiden, grinning. "What about you? Things going well with your mom-slash-sister?"

"Meryl's got a lot to learn, but her heart's in the right place," said Aiden. "I still can't believe she was stupid enough to rush retrieving that dhampir."

"Did Mom punish her for that?" asked Huihana. She remembered feeling very sorry for Meryl when she had first heard of that little stunt. It was the kind of foolishness that could easily get people killed."

"Apparently Meryl learned her lesson, so Mom just gave her a slap on the wrist," said Aiden.

"That's good," Huihana said quietly. She had to stop herself from grinning: the conversation had taken the perfect turn. "I'm a little relieved for her; Adella strikes me as the type you don't want to cross."

"Oh, she's not," said Arshaka, "you're absolutely right about that one. Meryl was just lucky that Adella didn't feel crossed."

Huihana peered closer, and forced what she hoped was a mischievous smile. "Do you know this from experience?"

Arshaka chuckled and took another long drink. "No way. I'm too much of a coward to even try a sneak attack on Mom. She'd take me out in a second," he eventually said, grinning.

Huihana looked towards Aiden instead. "How about you?" she asked.

Aiden glared at her out of the corner of his eye. "What kind of idiotic question is that?" he snapped. "Adella's watched out for me and Meryl for years. I'd give my life for her, gladly."

Aiden drained his glass, slammed it back down on the table, and got up without a word. Morrigan let out a caw and glided onto her usual spot on his shoulder. Arshaka and Huihana stared at him as he walked out of the room, practically exuding an aura of ire. Once Aiden was finally gone, Arshaka whistled and returned to his drink.

"Did I do something wrong?" asked Huihana.

"Nah," Arshaka said, shaking his head. "I know you were kidding, but that's not something you wanna joke about with Aiden. Bringing up disloyalty to mom pisses him off."

"I see," whispered Huihana. "I think I'm going to go for a walk," she added as she rose from her seat."

"You didn't even drink anything!" Arshaka cried over his shoulder. "Wait a minute, I know what's going on here!" he suddenly added.

Her heart pounding, Huihana froze. Was Arshaka going to attack her? Probably not, not with several hunters and Eun-mi in the area. He'd wait until she was alone, in some dark corner of the building...

Huihana turned slowly toward Arshaka, sweat forming on her brow. He was grinning at her.

"You've never drunk before!" he cried. "You weren't expecting there to be just alcohol here, so you brought up Sergei so we wouldn't notice that you're a total teetotaler!"

Huihana forced herself to laugh, and rubbed the back of her head. "Yeah, you've got me, Arshaka!"

"Well come on, try some!" cried Arshaka, brandishing his drink for emphasis.

"Maybe next time!" Huihana said breathlessly as she hurried out of the room.

Back out in the corridor, Huihana could swear she heard Arshaka's laughter echoing from within the lounge. Wanting to put distance between herself and the two men, Huihana quickly chose a hallway and walked down it. She had gotten some of her answers, but they only raised more questions.

Arshaka messed around regularly, so how serious was he when he said he wouldn't dare attack Adella? That struck Huihana as a strange thing to joke about if it weren't true, but it didn't mean Arshaka was innocent. On the other hand, Arshaka had given Huihana no reason to suspect him either. Huihana didn't doubt that the show Aiden put on was genuine, but was he angry because he was being defensive? Had Huihana struck too near to the point?

Huihana sighed, leaned against a wall, and shook her head. She wasn't much closer to an answer than she had been an hour ago. She'd have to keep digging to find the truth. Tomorrow she'd think of something else.

She turned toward the elevator, planning to return to her room, but found one of the ordinary members of the Third Generation hurrying toward her. He stopped a few feet from her, nodded briefly to her. "Miss Huihana, Adella wishes to speak with you in her office," he said.

Huihana's eyes snapped wide. "Sure thing! Thanks for letting me know!" she said quickly.

The messenger nodded and continued on. Huihana watched him go, her stomach writhing. Had Adella somehow discovered her investigation?

_'Meryl was just lucky that Adella didn't feel crossed.'_

Huihana had a feeling she wouldn't be nearly as lucky, if Adella knew what she were up to... Dreading building within her, Huihana continued toward the elevator, though her final destination was now quite different.

* * *

Confused and worried, Meryl slowly let her in to Adella's room. Twice now she had been called in. What was Adella going to do with her now?

She cleared her throat softly to announce her presence. Adella looked up, smiled, and beckoned. "Let yourself in," she said. She turned her attention to a computer on her desk. "And rest easy. I didn't call you in to do anything to you."

Meryl closed the door behind her and took her seat, staring at Adella. "Forgive me if I sound rude, but-"

"'Why did you call me if you don't need me?'" asked Adella. Meryl nodded shakily. "Actually, I just need you nearby. Come around to my side of the desk, please."

Now more confused than ever, Meryl circled to the other side of the desk, bringing the chair with her.

Adella looked toward Adella, and smiled. "Having you nearby makes me feel a bit more secure. I've decided to ambush Edward Cullen just now, and I wanted to make sure Alice Cullen wouldn't see it coming."

Meryl gasped in recognition. Now it all made sense... Alice couldn't see her. Meryl – a dhampir – was a blind spot in her visions. "I thought you didn't want them killed?" she asked.

"They've served their purpose," said Adella. "The Cullens have begun gathering allies, and the Volturi are doing the same. The shockwaves they're sending through their world will inevitably draw them to war at this point."

She grinned at Meryl. "We're simply... removing a few of the dangerous ones before the battle begins. Edward Cullen has taken many lives, and whether they were innocent or not doesn't matter. Our investigations have made it abundantly clear that he feels no guilt for his crimes. The Denali vampires are the same." Adella turned away, casting shadows over her eyes. "They've been judged."

Meryl nodded, shuddering. Then Renesmee's father would soon be dead. She had read over the records of Edward Cullen's character, she knew that everything Adella said was true. Edward Cullen deserved to die. He was a murderer, and didn't care that he was one. Nothing gave him the right to act as Judge, Jury and Executioner, especially not his own desire to feed on humans. But he was Renesmee's father...

Meryl shut her eyes tight and shook her head. It didn't matter _whose _father he was. It didn't excuse his crimes. Renesmee would have to find a way to come to terms with that fact, and Meryl would help her do it if necessary.

Soft knocking came from the opposite side of the door. Without looking away from her work, Adella said, "Come in."

The door opened, and Huihana and Sergei entered the room slowly. Both Sage and Disciple paused to glance at Meryl in confusion, before sitting down on the opposite end of the desk. Huihana, Sergei and Meryl exchanged glances while Adella continued to look over the reports on her desk.

After a few seconds of silence, Adella looked up and nodded. "Earlier today, I received confirmation on the movements of the Cullen family. Edward, Jasper and Carlisle have split up to gather help, which means it's time for us to make a decisive move."

"Rumors of what they're doing will reach the Volturi in mere days," said Sergei. "Now that they've raised a call to arms, they've fulfilled their role and provoked the Volturi quite nicely."

Adella nodded. "Exactly. With that in mind, it's time to reduce their strength before the battle begins."

"Will the Volturi still come with all their might if the Cullens are already half-dead?" asked Huihana.

"We won't eliminate too many of the Cullens and their allies, just a few critical members. They need to be able to put up _some _fight," said Adella. "We're going to be doing the same with the Volturi – though subtly. But to answer your question more directly, this is a matter of pride for the Volturi. Sabal and I believe they will move their entire organization into battle, no matter how many of the Cullens die in the days between then and now.

"Your orders are simple. I want the two of you to return to Seattle by air tomorrow. Squad Six will greet you upon your arrival and assist you in ambushing Edward Cullen. He and the Denali vampire coven should be returning from Alaska at in two days.

Adella peered closer. To Meryl, it seemed like her eyes were brighter than usual. "I want them all destroyed. Burn them and scatter their ashes to the four winds."

Meryl shuddered once again.


End file.
